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ARMY AVIATION Magazine 2 January 31, 2022
24

Contents January 31, 2022 Vol. 71, No. 1

TO THE FIELD
10 Army Aviation Branch Chief’s Corner
10 By MG David J. Francis
12 This is Your Army!
By GEN Edward M. Daly
16 AMCOM Commander Update
By MG K. Todd Royar
18 Aviation Branch Maintenance Officer Update
By CW5 Patrick O’Neill
20 AMCOM Command Sergeant Major Update
By CSM Bradford Smith
22 Combat Readiness Center Update
18 By Mr. Timothy Edgette
24 Reserve Component Aviation Update
By SPC Zachary Danaher
26 128th Aviation Brigade Update
By SSG Angel Agosto
28 CCDC AvMC Tech Talk
By Dr. Thomas L. Thompson
30 Ask the Flight Surgeon
By MAJ Brett A. Matzek M.D., FS

20 SPECIAL FOCUS — Aviation Maintenance/Sustainment

32 A Modern Decision-Making Framework for Prognostic &
Predictive Maintenance
By Mr. Danny Parker, Ph.D. and LTC Andy Bellocchio, Ph.D.
34 AMCOM Employs PPMx to Make Faster & Better Decisions,
Improve Readiness, & Build Overwhelming Combat Power
By Mr. Dave Ware
36 Training for Flaw Detection Is Vital Prior To Assembly
By Ms. Joyce L. Myers
38 Corpus Christi Army Depot Supports the Army’s
36 Modernization Initiatives
By Mr. Richard Lewis

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 3 January 31, 2022

 46

Contents January 31, 2022 Vol. 71, No. 1

AWARDS
48 40 2019 & 2020 National Award Winners
42 2020 & 2021 Functional Award Winners
44 2020 & 2021 Army Aviation Hall of Fame Inductees

FROM THE FIELD

46 AAAA 16th Luther G. Jones Army Aviation Depot Forum Held
in Corpus Christi
By Kathleen (Kat) Pettaway-Clarke
48 Self-Deployment of Unmanned Aircraft Validates Concept for
58 Expeditionary Split Operations
By CW4 Dan Brechwald

DEPARTMENTS
AAAA NEWS
AAAA President’s Cockpit........................................................................................................8
AAAA VP Chapter Affairs.......................................................................................................58
Chapter OSM News.............................................................................................................59
AAAA VP Membership...........................................................................................................60
New Members........................................................................................................................61
AAAA Family Forum.................................................................................................................62
59 AAAA Legislative Report........................................................................................................65
AAAA Scholarship Foundation & Donors............................................................... 52, 57
AAAA Hall of Fame................................................................................................................... 70

ARMY AVIATION COMMUNITY NEWS

Advertisers Index......................................................................................................................64
Art’s Attic.......................................................................................................................................69
Briefings...........................................................................................................................................6
Calendar........................................................................................................................................61
Enlisted Aviation Soldier Spotlight.......................................................................................21
Historical Perspective.............................................................................................................50
Industry News.............................................................................................................................64
People on the Move................................................................................................................66
59
ARMY AVIATION is the official journal of the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA). The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors, not the Department of Defense or
its elements. The content does not necessarily reflect the official U.S. Army position nor the position of the AAAA or the staff of Army Aviation Publications, Inc., (AAPI). Title Reg® in U.S. Patent office.
Registration Number 1,533,053. SUBSCRIPTION DATA: ARMY AVIATION (ISSN 0004-248X) is published monthly, except May and September by AAPI, 593 Main Street, Monroe, CT 06468-2806.
Tel: (203) 268-2450, FAX: (203) 268-5870, E-Mail: aaaa@quad-a.org. Army Aviation Magazine E-Mail: magazine@quad-a.org. Website: http://www.quad-a.org. Subscription rates for non-AAAA
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SRDS Business Publications, Classification 90. POSTMASTER: Periodicals postage paid at Monroe, CT and other offices. Send address changes to AAPI, 593 Main Street, Monroe, CT 06468-2806.

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 4 January 31, 2022

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 5 January 31, 2022
 Briefings u Late Breaking News - Announcements

Founders /Art and Dotty Kesten POTUS Signs NDAA
President Joe Biden signed into law the fiscal
Publisher / William R. Harris Jr. year 2022 National Defense Authorization
Editor / CW4 (Ret.) Joseph L. Pisano Sr. Act on Dec. 27, 2021. The $740 billion
editor@quad-a.org NDAA, calls for $25 billion more in defense
spending than Biden’s budget request. It
Associate Editor / CW5 Adam Jarvis also includes a provision directing DoD to
adam@quad-a.org pay Reserve Component members incentive
pay equal to the regular component. See
Director of Design & Production
the Legislative Report on page 65 for more
assumed responsibility from outgoing CSM
Michael A. Crosby. Murray and Crosby served
as the inaugural command team for the newly
created command since August 2018.
National Medal of Honor
Monument
President Biden signed the
National Medal of Honor
Monument Act into law on

AAPI FILE GRAPHIC

Anne H. Ewing
information on what comes next. Dec. 27, 2021 following
magazine@quad-a.org
its bipartisan, unanimous
Contributing Editor / Mark Albertson Grady Sworn In as VCJCS approval by both the U.S. House and U.S.
mark@quad-a.org Senate. The legislation authorizes the cre-
ation of a monument in Washington, D.C., to
Family Forum Editor / Judy Konitzer
judy@quad-a.org
recognize the fewer than 4,000 Americans
who have received the Medal of Honor since
Advertising Director / Robert C. Lachowski its founding during the Civil War. As of this
bob@quad-a.org writing, there are only 66 recipients alive. No
DOD PHOTO BY CHAD J. MCNEELEY

Advertising Manager / Erika Burgess federal funds will be used to build the monu-
erika@quad-a.org ment. Instead, the National Medal of Honor
Museum Foundation will be responsible for
Marketing Director / Jennifer Chittem raising funds to cover the expenses associ-
jenn@quad-a.org Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III delivers ated with the project.
Social Media Manager / Chelsea Jarvis the oath of office at the swearing in ceremony Adoption Reimbursement
chelsea@quad-a.org at the Pentagon for Adm. Christopher W. Grady Deadline Extended
as the 12th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
Director Data Services / Ben Marini of Staff, Dec. 20, 2021. The swearing-in fills a
ben@quad-a.org
monthlong vacancy following the retirement of
Web Master / Mary Seymour Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, whose last day

DOD PHOTO FROM MILITARYONESOURCE.MIL

mary@quad-a.org was Nov. 19. According to a Pentagon press
release, the former commander of U.S. Fleet
Circulation Department
Forces Command/U.S. Naval Forces Northern
Deb Cavallaro
Debbie Coley
Command will be leading the Joint Require-
Jackie Harris ments Oversight Council and serving as a senior
Elisabeth Mansson member of the Nuclear Weapons Council.
The Defense Department temporarily ex-
Richardson Takes Over tended the deadline for adoption reimburse-
Editorial Address at AFC ment requests in certain cases in response
593 Main Street, Monroe, CT 06468-2806 to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The
Tel: (203) 268-2450 / Fax: (203) 268-5870 DoD provides a variety of support for service
members seeking to adopt children; reim-
bursement for qualified expenses is part of
ARMYAVIATIONmagazine.com that support. DoD may accept applications
U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY AUSTIN L. THOMAS

for adoption reimbursement past the two-

On The Cover
PAID ADVERTISEMENT:
LTG James M. Richardson (left) receives
As the single largest aviation the U.S. Army Futures Command colors
services provider for the Army, from Army Chief of Staff, GEN James C.
Amentum creates enduring value McConville, as outgoing commanding
by providing a complete range general, GEN John M. Murray, looks on during
a relinquishment of command and change of
of maintenance, sustainment,
responsibility ceremony on Dec. 3, 2021.
operations, and training solutions. Richardson, a Master Army Aviator, assumes
Discover more at amentum.com. the responsibilities of acting commanding
Caption provided by the advertiser. general from Murray who retired with nearly
40 years of service; and CSM Brian A. Hester
year deadline if the following criteria are met:
the adoption was finalized between March 1,
2018, and Dec. 31, 2019; for adoption of for-
eign children, the certificate of U.S. citizenship
was issued between March 1, 2018, and Dec.
31, 2019; and the application for reimburse-
ment must be provided to the designated mil-
itary service point of contact no later than Feb.
28, 2022. The exception to policy is effective
immediately and will remain in effect through
Feb. 28, 2022. For more information about
military adoption support, Military OneSource
(militaryonesource.mil) offers no-cost adop-
tion consultations, as well as online military
adoption information and resources.

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 6 January 31, 2022

 u President’s Cockpit
Summit On-Time, On-Target for April!
I t’s a new year and new opportunities are
ahead as we look forward to holding our
first AAAA Annual Army Aviation Mission
Solutions Summit in two years!
April 3-5, 2022 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN
are the dates. Hard to believe we are barely over 60 days
away by the time you read this. Chief of Staff, GEN Jim
McConville will be our keynote speaker on Monday and
we have a packed agenda with everything from our Branch
leadership led by MG Dave Francis, to simulation, Warrant
Officer and Soldier updates by our Chief Warrant Officer of
the Branch and Branch CSM to safety, international panels,
survivability working groups, and Future Vertical Lift.
There is something for everyone to include a spouse program
with various tours and presentations. We are even working
on reduced rates for Soldiers at the impressive indoor water/
surfing park right at Gaylord, called “Sound Waves.” Keep up-
to-date with the AAAA Events App to access 22Summit for
the latest agenda and more!
The Opryland hotel itself is close to being sold out but
we have a number of other Marriott properties across the
street that are available. The AAAA website will direct you
to our event vendor eShow which will show you what is
still available. You can book at the same time you get your
event tickets.
Attention Industry Members: There are a few exhibit
spaces left but very few indeed. Most of our exhibitors
rolled over their contracted booths from the last two years’
cancelled shows so we are about sold out.
Remember to get your tickets for the Hall of Fame Banquet
on Monday night and the closing casual Soldier Appreciation
Concert with Justin Moore on Tuesday evening.
As you read last month, the Joseph P. Cribbins Training,
Equipping and Sustainment Symposium was an amazing
success in Huntsville. Recognition of outstanding Soldiers is
such an important part of what AAAA does. The last two
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
AAPI PHOTO BY BILL HARRIS
A packed house listens to a presentation during the opening session of the
Luther G. Jones Army Aviation Depot Forum, 6-7 Dec 21, Corpus Christi,
TX. Among the VIPs pictured are: (front right table, left to right) MG (Ret.)
Tim Crosby; AAAA President; LTG Thomas H. Todd III, DCG, Army Futures
Command; Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo; and COL Joseph Parker,
Corpus Christi Army Depot commander.
years of pandemic have not helped us to work that pillar of
our mission statement.
Please see pages 40-44 for full coverage of the 2020 and 2021
National awards that we presented at the Cribbins event catch-
ing up on two back years of awards to include the Hall of Fame,
our Soldiers of the Year, Crew Chiefs of the Year, National
Guard Unit of the Year and many, many more not to mention
the Material Readiness awards to industry that were presented
there. What a joy to see these individuals and their family mem-
bers finally appreciated before hundreds of their friends and
peers. There were a lot of emotional moments I assure you and I
hope the photos convey some small part of that to you.
We have also just held in December our Luther G.
Jones Army Aviation Depot Forum in Corpus Christi, TX.
Recognition of two outstanding Artisans of the Year were
presented there as well. The Mayor herself along with LTG
Todd and MG Royar helped us honor those outstanding
unsung heroes who do such an outstanding job returning our
aircraft to like new condition every year at the Depot as well
as provide the new UH-60V model to the force.
I am continuing to travel around the country visiting our
chapters as I work toward the goal of visiting each one by the
end of my term in 2023. We are also working initiatives on a
Hall of Fame review, new standards for industry sponsorship
of our national awards, increased benefits for our industry
members and much more. I look forward to seeing many of
you in Nashville and during this next year as we keep pressing
on our Mission Statement: “Supporting the U.S. Army
Aviation Soldier and Family.”
MG Tim Crosby, U.S. Army Retired
35th President, AAAA
8 January 31, 2022
ARMY AVIATION Magazine 9 January 31, 2022
 u Army Aviation Branch Chief's Corner

Army Aviation Sustainment

During LSCO By MG David J. Francis

U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY SFC RYAN SHELDON, 40TH CAB

S ustainment will be a core warfighting function for SSG Dustin Murray, a Quality Control
Noncommissioned Officer in charge with
future warfare. Our enterprise has to take a close Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation
Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion),
look at how we execute aviation maintenance and Iowa Army National Guard, inspects the engine
of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Camp
how we design logistical systems that support Large Buehring, Kuwait.
Scale Combat Operations.

The Army expects Army Aviation
will be capable of generating support
to operational maneuver forces with
integrated aviation sustainment
capability. That capability must be
designed to support an agile, adaptive,
and modernized expeditionary aviation
force capable of winning during Large
Scale Combat Operations across
multiple domains.
Future aviation maintenance op-
erations require dispersed execution in
austere environments, amidst complex
terrain, with limited or lengthy lines of
communication for extended periods. A
reduced logistics footprint requires im-
proving efficiency and minimizing the
signature of maintenance operations.
Condition-based maintenance systems,
with precision prognostics and diag-
nostics, will lessen the overall mainte-
nance workload reducing the mainte-
nance capacity demands. Modernizing
our logistics also includes breaking the
phase maintenance paradigm that ties
us to large footprints and lengthy sup-
ply chains. Optimizing our inspections
relevant to operations with accurate
component repair and replacement
times will afford more fixing forward
for combat power.
Our maintainers are the cornerstone
of our sustainment program. The

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 10 January 31, 2022

Aviation Maintenance Training
Program allows us to track the training
sets and reps of our maintainers to
capture unit capacity. With an increase
in more technically qualified Soldiers
capable of diagnosing, assessing,
and repairing multiple aircraft and
systems, we can fight in austere and
dispersed environments. Instead of
a robust maintenance company with
300 Soldiers, we may need to disperse
10 teams of 30 Soldiers throughout
the battlefield. These teams that can
rapidly regenerate combat power
forward and keep our systems in the
fight without an underlying reliance on
stateside depots and contract support.
Preparing for LSCO requires we train
our Soldiers with the most modern,
technically rigorous, and realistic
conditions that units expect to operate
in during combat.
All of our efforts in modernizing
aviation maintenance are to improve
and sustain the launch, recover, launch
capability that supports Large Scale
Combat Operations. For FY 22, we are
pursuing sustainment experiments to
see where we can improve maintenance
operations. Some of the concepts
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
include 3D printing, allowing us to
create critical parts and components
where and when we need them.
While our aviation fleet has numerical
objectives and goals for readiness,
our ultimate objective is a level of
operational availability that allows
Army Aviation to conduct Combined
Arms Maneuver to defeat and destroy
the enemy at the time and place of our
choosing. While our new systems are
critical, we are continuing our focus on
reducing the maintenance burden on
our enduring fleet to the smallest level
possible without sacrificing safety and
using these improvements to inform
sustainment requirements for our new
FVL systems.
To support the ground force
commander and serve as a member of
the combined arms maneuver team,
Aviation must be able to provide the
combat power necessary to mass effects
at the time and place of our choosing
over expanded areas of operation.
Our strength and ability to provide
maneuver commanders reliable,
lethal and timely support resides in
our ability to maintain the readiness
of our aircraft. Our enduring fleet
11
along with our FVL aircraft will have
robust, adaptable, and interchangeable
sustainment strategies to ensure we
remain the most lethal option for
a division commander. Essential to
maintaining lethal and reliable aircraft
is to ensure we provide our Soldiers
with modern, relevant training and
education to sustain our force for
Large Scale Combat Operations. All
of our modernization efforts, rigorous
training, and professional education are
designed to keep our Soldiers the best-
trained Aviation maintenance force.
The superb training, discipline, and
equipping of our cohesive maintenance
teams are unequaled in scale and quality.
I am proud to serve with all of you and
am thankful for what our maintenance
teams do every day across our branch.
Above the Best!
MG David J. Francis is the Army Aviation
branch chief and commander of the U.S.
Army Aviation Center of Excellence and
Fort Rucker, AL.
January 31, 2022
 u This is Your Army!
Army Materiel Command

U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY ERVEY MARTINEZ, CORPUS CHRISTI ARMY DEPOT

Enabling Aviation
Sustainment Modernization

PHOTO COURTESY OF WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY

to support an Information
Age Army By GEN Edward M. Daly

A s the Army’s primary sustainment and logistics Top photo: At Corpus Christi Army Depot, Texas,
the Powertrain Transmission Sub-Assembly
command, Army Materiel Command (AMC) leads Building, a 126,500 square foot building,
will provide flexible manufacturing space to
and directs the sustainment warfighting function from house component maintenance processes,
administrative and support spaces and a central
the installation to the battlefield, supporting warfighters energy plant.
and enabling mission command down to the lowest Above photo: An engineer at Wichita State
University scans a part from a UH-60 Black
level. Hawk. The 3D scans will be used to digitally print
copies of the part.

To best align with the Army’s
priorities of people, readiness and
modernization, and ensure that we
meet the requirements for the future
multi-domain capable force, AMC
is modernizing our infrastructure,
training, processes and skill sets to
support next-generation capabilities.
In his initial message to the force,
Chief of Staff of the Army GEN James
McConville said, “We cannot be an
Industrial Age Army in the Informa-
tion Age. We must transform all linear
industrial age processes to be more ef-
fective, protect our resources and make
better decisions.” Key to this transfor-
mation is being able to see ourselves
by having the right logistics data and
visualizations to support commanders at
all levels in making real-time, informed
decisions. Emerging threats and chang-
ing operational environments require us
to holistically assess and refine our ap-
proach to data analytics and information
dominance in competition, crisis and
conflict. We have never had access to
the level of operational, sustainment and
readiness data that we have today, nor
have we had the level of sophistication
in tools available to harness data to sup-
port outcome-driven decision making.
AMC has partnered with industry, aca-
demia and across the defense industrial
base to build the system requirements,
sensors, data architectures and tools to
completely transform from data ware-
housing to data-driven decision making.
Under AMC’s direction, U.S. Army
Aviation and Missile Command (AM-

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 12 January 31, 2022


COM) is leading and partnering across
government, industry and academia to
affect the development and rollout of
key technologies and initiatives that
provide decisive tactical advantages to
our aviation forces. AMCOM contin-
ues to prioritize its resources and focus
on both platform and unit-based infor-
mation readiness tools and technologi-
cal enablers that not only inform global
supply chain decisions but also inform
tactical-level warfighting decisions and
capabilities. AMCOM is also leading
and integrating technological and busi-
ness advancements from its core depot
missions to its modernization integra-
tion role, all to drive outcomes for our
aviators operating forward. AMCOM
continues to lead Army aviation sustain-
ment transformation by injecting future
sustainment into new and modernizing
systems, directing supply chain data an-
alytics and information transformation,
and modernizing our industrial base and
equipment to keep pace with current,
future and surge requirements.
Sustainment Data
Analytics – Information Age
Sustainment
To best inform commanders and op-
erational decisions in an Information
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
Age Army, we must first reassess and
implement sustainment data produc-
tion, storage and management archi-
tectures. Critical for our transition is
the implementation of a comprehensive
sustainment data framework, support-
ing the identification of opportunities
and solutions for our supported units.
To accomplish this, the sustainment
community will move from transaction-
al to predictive and prescriptive analyt-
ics. In the same vein as improving full
Global Combat Support System-Army
Increment 2 data from our Aircraft
Notebook bridge to full system adop-
tion, we will continue to drive seamless
data architectures that move us from
fleet to tail number operational detail
and real-time analytics. We will in-
crease our investment in new technolo-
gies such as Digital Twin mapping and
Prognostic and Predictive Maintenance
(PPMx) technologies across new and
modernizing systems, drive standard-
ization of data reporting across systems
to improve analytics, and ensure digital
and technological integration is imple-
mented across our Organic Industrial
Base (OIB). AMCOM’s comprehensive
data and analytics plan will serve as a
guide across our sustainment formation,
informing all of AMC’s subordinate ac-
14
tivities in their sustainment transition to
an Information Age Army.
Sustainment Integration –
Driving Sustainment Forward
Co-located at Redstone Arsenal,
Alabama, with Army Futures Com-
mand’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL)
Cross Functional Team (CFT), AM-
COM plays a pivotal role in driving
sustainment concepts, performance pa-
rameters and metrics to ensure that set-
ting tomorrow’s theater includes avia-
tion platforms capable of expeditionary
operations with reduced sustainment
burdens. As the aviation Army Mod-
ernization Enterprise (AME) sustain-
ment lead, AMCOM drives key sus-
tainment performance parameters, data
technologies and supply requirements
now – with direct readiness effects
from first unit equipped, across the 30+
year fielding of aviation systems. Our
integrated logistics and sustainment
experts are not only partnered with
FVL CFT, but also operate organic
to the program and product managers
that will acquire and field final, mis-
sion-capable systems across the force.
AMCOM is also actively working to-
day to drive technological and data im-
provements to our systems to support
advanced sustainment metrics for our
aviation fleets – metrics that drive the
right behaviors within our sustainment
responsibilities. For example, based on
improved forecasting and continual
engagement with industry, AMCOM
changed the goal for aircraft non-mis-
sion capable supply status from 10% to
5%. This reflects AMCOM’s ability to
have the right parts available for units
when they need them, and to continue
to drive future performance metrics
beyond traditional standards to support
forward aviation operations.
Sensoring for Battlefield
Effectiveness – Enabling
Decision Making Forward via
Prognostic and Predictive
Maintenance (PPMx)
AMC is investing heavily in PPMx
technologies across the installation, ma-
teriel and sustainment enterprise. His-
torically, embedding onboard sensors and
diagnostics were geared toward building
large amounts of pooled data, designed
to drive decisions at the strategic level.
However, the new shift within PPMx is
to drive actionable data to tactical level
formations to inform battlefield decision
making. AMCOM is investing in big
January 31, 2022
data analysis and related technologies
to inform maintenance and supply deci-
sions at the tactical-unit level. The com-
mand is partnered with Army centers
of excellence, program executive offices
and program managers to build effective
data warehousing and analysis tools such
as algorithms to improve tactical Army
readiness. AMCOM is working through
its program executive office partners to
standardize data flows and information
to deliver actionable data directly into
the hands of units and maintainers. As
our technologies and initiatives progress,
aviation units and expert maintainers
will have full access to all platform data
– informing tactical decisions where they
matter most – forward.
Modernizing the Organic
Industrial Base – Enabling
Ready Units
Through a 15-year OIB Modern-
ization Plan, AMC is modernizing fa-
cilities, processes and skill sets to bring
the OIB into the 21st century, infuse
industry best practices and refine hu-
man resource management structures to
maximize the skills and capabilities of
our workforce. While the average age of
facilities at Corpus Christi Army Depot
(CCAD) is 45 years, the processes, in-
vestments and artisan skill levels remain
innovative and capable of meeting the
requirements of new, modernizing and
enduring fleets. For example, CCAD
facilities and overhaul capabilities are
already being modified by our engineers
to accommodate the emerging require-
ments of Future Attack and Reconnais-
sance Aircraft (FARA) and Future Long
Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), earn-
ing the right to be Army Aviation’s De-
pot Source of Repair. CCAD, in concert
with AMCOM, is investing in the right
tools, technologies and skills to recapi-
talize AH-64E, CH-47F and UH-60M
as well. For example, CCAD recently
opened phase two (of seven planned
phases) for its new multi-purpose pro-
duction facility. CCAD also uses effec-
tive public-private partnerships with
several commercial enterprises, gaining
and leveraging both organic and com-
mercial technology strengths to deliver
capabilities to set the theater.
Modernization via the
Organic Industrial Base –
Bridging the Gap (UH-60V)
CCAD is maximizing the Army’s
investment in an enduring fleet of air-
craft by upgrading the UH-60 “Lima”
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
model of the Black Hawk helicopter
to the “Victor” model. The upgrade
extends the life of the airframe, while
improving technological commonali-
ties with the Army’s Black Hawk fleet,
including a glass, digital suite that in-
cludes enhanced messaging between
pilots, a moving map and a state-of-
the-art navigation system that provides
increased situational awareness. The
government-owned technology package
used to upgrade the aircraft maximizes
competition among vendors. Using
an open-system architecture approach
means the software design is not depen-
dent on proprietary systems, making it
easier to add or swap components and
facilitate faster future upgrades. The first
UH-60V flew in September 2020 and
will initially be fielded to the National
Guard. The depot is slated to transi-
tion hundreds of Lima models to Vic-
tor models, keeping and building upon
PPMx technologies and lessons learned
during prior PPMx implementation.
Advanced Manufacturing
– Sustainment Production at
the Point of Need
AMCOM is actively progressing
advanced manufacturing capabilities
to set the theaters of today and tomor-
row. Advanced manufacturing refers to
new ways of making existing products
and the production of new products us-
ing advances in technology. Advanced
manufacturing includes additive man-
ufacturing, joining materials to make
parts from 3D-model data. AMCOM
is not only leading policy changes that
enable these new technologies but is
actively identifying and certifying spare
parts to enable depot and field-level
use. CCAD already uses technolo-
gies such as tagnite plating, automated
blue light scanning and thermo spray
plasma, but will add 3D metal printing,
laser additive manufacturing and cold
spray additive manufacturing over the
next four years. While aviation poses
unique challenges to advanced manu-
facturing because of safety require-
ments, AMCOM has assessed over
39,000 parts for use by CCAD and the
field. We are actively working to build a
future where required parts are built on
demand, to exacting specifications and
provided forward at the point of need.
AMCOM’s commitment to en-
abling advanced manufacturing can be
readily seen in our recent efforts to build
a “Digital Twin” of the UH-60L. Re-
searchers are completely disassembling
15
one airframe and capturing a 3D scan
of each structural part, creating a virtual
model, or digital twin, which will help
resolve challenges and boost efficiencies
for the Army’s enduring fleet of Black
Hawk helicopters. The primary objec-
tive of the program is to create the abil-
ity to provide support to the warfighter
and increase readiness. The results can
affect future maintenance and sustain-
ment for Black Hawk for years and
inform future initiatives for new and
modernizing systems. Researchers at the
National Institute of Aviation Research
are developing the digital twin under
a partnership between AMCOM, the
Strategic Capabilities Office within the
Office of the Secretary of Defense, and
Wichita State University. This effort will
help define how we accept, store and
manage 3D models for future systems,
including FARA and FLRAA.
Commitment to Army
Aviation Modernization
and Readiness – Supporting
Today, Building Tomorrow
From increased investments in infor-
mation and decision tools, to innovation
within the industrial base, AMC is pos-
tured and ready to fully support the Army
and warfighters now and in the future.
AMC, through AMCOM, will continue
to support, develop and deliver effective
technologies, sustainment concepts and
outcomes that aid and assist our aviation
forces and combatant commanders in
setting the theater and delivering effects
anytime, anywhere. As global challenges
continue to evolve, AMCOM will con-
tinue to transform its portfolio of avia-
tion sustainment solutions and systems
to meet those challenges.
Heavily engaged in Army Modern-
ization, AMC is investing early in new
systems – documentation, planning,
and fleet-wide decisions – to ensure our
force has an effective mix of ready, re-
liable and lethal aviation technologies.
We are fully committed to developing
the Army’s future vertical lift capabili-
ties and enabling technological mod-
ernization such as advanced manufac-
turing, while simultaneously sustaining
an effective, enduring fleet in 2028,
2035 and beyond.
GEN Edward M. Daly is
the commanding general
of U.S. Army Materiel
Command headquartered
at Redstone Arsenal, AL.
January 31, 2022
 u AMCOM Commander Update
Editor’s Note: For this AMCOM – Aviation Maintenance special focus issue, the branch chief, MG David J. Francis, has
coordinated having the Army Aviation Enterprise maintenance / sustainment leader, MG K. Todd Royar, his command
sergeant major, and the Branch Aviation Maintenance Officer, provide the lead, “To the Field,” command group articles.

U.S. ARMY AMCOM GRAPHIC

AMCOM Employs Army Aviation
Sustainment Strategy for Enduring and
Future Fleet Solutions
By MG K. Todd Royar and Mr. Tom Barthel

A rmy priorities are clear: People,
Readiness and Modernization.
Underpinning each of those is our ability
to sustain both our people and our
equipment.
The Army Aviation Enterprise is utilizing the Army Aviation
Sustainment Strategy (AAESS) to develop solutions for
the enduring fleet today that will directly lead to success in
sustaining the future fleet in multi-domain operations.
Three years ago, we developed the Army Aviation Enterprise
Sustainment Strategy (AAESS) to help us scope and guide all
of our efforts that should ultimately be driving towards the
AAESS’s five major objectives – an Expeditionary Aviation
Force, Reduced Logistics Footprint, Increased Organic Capa-
bility, Improved Operational Availability and Decreased Life
Cycle Costs. By using the AAESS as a guide, we can direct and
enable any modernization efforts and their sustainment solu-
tions toward more affordable, standardized, and less resource
intensive solutions. The AAESS has already proven to be a use-
ful tool getting us closer to a common destination, but there is
still more work to do.
It is imperative that we use the AAESS to continue to guide
the Aviation Enterprise to develop better sustainment solu-
tions. The simple fact is that we have three primary manned
rotary-wing aircraft today. However, as we bring the Future
Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) and the Future
Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) online, that number
will increase to five. If we fail to gain efficiencies in the sus-
tainment system, the sheer weight of the different systems we

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 16 January 31, 2022

have to sustain will overwhelm us. In this article we will briefly
touch on how the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command
(AMCOM) is utilizing the AAESS to guide our sustainment
modernization efforts in terms of Data Analytics, Prognostic
and Predictive Maintenance (PPMx), and modernization of
the Organic Industrial Base.
Digital Thread
As General Daly noted in his article, Army Materiel Com-
mand (AMC) and AMCOM are focused on using data ana-
lytics, and the so-called “digital thread,” for future sustainment.
This directly supports the AAESS Line of Effort 4: Sustain-
ment Processes, Practices and Doctrine. The term “digital
thread,” however, can mean a lot of things depending on who
you talk to and what role they perform. Whether it’s being able
to communicate between systems, having digital blueprints of
components, or the data backbone architecture designed to in-
tegrate multiple systems effectively – it all has a place. So how
do we build effective systems, processes and practices that are
nested with doctrine and enable sustainment success in large-
scale combat operations?
The Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team (FVL
CFT) and the Program Executive Office (PEO) Aviation have
made tremendous strides in creating the Modern Open System
Approach (MOSA) which enables components to talk to one
another. That same approach is already starting to pay divi-
dends on the Gray Eagle. To physically build the components,
a 3D drawing is needed. We are using the guiding principles
in the AAESS to build a digital twin of a UH-60L where ev-
ery structural part is modelled in a 3-Dimensional Computer-
Aided Design file. This effort is proving to be the pathfinder
for FVL by determining the minimum requirements for 3D
files. Finally, we need to be able to effectively store and retrieve
the data. The AAESS is guiding us to develop a common data-
base across all users vice the disparate systems we have today.
As we develop the Prognostic and Predictive Maintenance
(PPMx) program for the Army, we need to continually relate
the five objectives in the AAESS to every output. AMCOM is
looking at outputs of current sensor data in conjunctions with
Reliability Centered Maintenance practices to help improve
the maintenance schedules of the current fleet. Moreover, we
are looking to determine what analytic capability needs to be
realized that will become the backbone of PPMx. Without
modernizing how we process and relay sensor data to our Sol-
diers and more specifically our maintainers, no matter the sen-
blade-repair machine at CCAD will start repairing UH-60
blades in the next month or two reducing repair time from
over 30 days to less than 7 and has the potential to do so for
future blades, as well.
Advanced Manufacturing
Additionally, we are using the AAESS to guide our Ad-
vanced Manufacturing (AM) concepts. The Expeditionary
Aviation Objective will enable us to not only do AM at the
depot level, but also in the field. Reduced Logistics Footprint
moves us towards AM solutions that are not reliant on clean
rooms, huge power-source requirements and infrastructure, and
fixed AM equipment. Focusing on Increased Organic Capabil-
ity promotes utilizing our depots and capitalizes on AM, shift-
ing away from OEM required component and CLIX sourcing
through the entire lifecycle of the aviation system. Our Depots
and Soldiers should be sustaining our supply depth and use
AM as much as possible to support ourselves both on and away
from the battlefield.
In closing, I want to reiterate that the AAESS is an enter-
prise solution. The entire Aviation 6 Pack is focused on provid-
ing the force unparalleled lethality, reach, survivability, and reli-
ability needed to operate on the future battlefield. Fortunately,
the tenets of the AAESS apply to the current -- as well as the
future force -- by design. As a result, many of the processes and
systems being put in place today will enable the readiness of
our current fleet as well as the success of our future fleet.
MG K. Todd Royar is the commanding general of the U.S. Army
Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command at
Redstone Arsenal, AL; Mr. Tom Barthel is the acting chief of the
AMCOM G-3 Strategy division.

TIME
sor or source, we will continually search for the perfect amount
and type of data that ultimately doesn’t meet our needs and
continually depletes finite fiscal resources in the process. The
AAESS will help scope and refine our Aviation PPMx out-

TESTED
puts towards an affordable program allowing both predictive
and prognostic maintenance. These PPMx outputs will further
develop the requirements defining Limited Maintenance Free
Operation Periods and only necessary maintenance as opposed CLS SUPPORT
to time-interval inspections and the associated multiple levels
of maintenance iterations.
The AAESS is also helping to guide our efforts in mod-
ernizing the Organic Industrial Base in terms of both facili-
ties and tooling. All of the facilities being planned and con-
structed at Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD) are being
built to enable repair and remanufacturing of all current and
future systems. Equally important, the tooling being procured
now takes advantage of robotics and will have applicability to 972.441.2423 KingAerospace.com
repair both current and future systems. For example, a new

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 17 January 31, 2022

 u Aviation Branch Maintenance Officer Update

Importance of
Sustainment
Modernization
at the
Operator
Level
By CW5 Patrick O’Neill

A s units return
from a reduced
operational period over
the holidays, maintaining
aircraft readiness can be
challenging.
U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY SGT. FRANCIS CALABRO

With reduced manpower, typical winter

weather, and the current COVID-19
supply-chain disruptions, having a
maintenance strategy to bridge these
Soldiers assigned to Bravo Company, 628th Aviation Support Battalion, 28th Expeditionary Combat
sustainment gaps and meet the eventual Aviation Brigade reinstall the main rotor head on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter after routine mainte-
surge of flying hours is critical. What nance at an airfield in the 28th ECAB’s area of operations in the Middle East.
is also critical, but a little more opaque,
is a strategic view on maintaining cur-
rent and future fleet aircraft in Large
Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) in a tion of these systems in LSCO. Some they may not perform the same. U.S.
Multi-Domain fight. As we modernize of the modernization efforts include Army Aviation and Missile Command
our enduring aviation fleet and prepare Advanced Manufacturing, Prognostic (AMCOM) Policy 070-062 and AM-
for Future Vertical Lift (FVL), under- and Predictive Maintenance (PPMx), COM Execution Order 050-18 outline
standing how to apply modernization and using sensored parts that reduce that guidance.
efforts and the Army Aviation Enter- time between overhauls and enable ex- The AMCOM policy states that
prise Sustainment Strategy at the tacti- tended Maintenance Free Operating units have input into nominating which
cal- and operational-maintenance levels Periods (MFOP). These are all eventu- parts are evaluated for 3D scans first.
is critical for our future fight. alities that will reside in a maintainer’s Currently, most of these solutions are
Maintainers that turn wrenches and toolbox in the not too distant future. made above the brigade level, but the
maintenance managers who advise and The Army and other services are ac- eventual focus is to get some level of ad-
schedule aircraft must have a clear un- tively pursuing advanced manufactur- vanced manufacturing to the maintain-
derstanding of how maintenance will ing (AM) solutions. Of course, along ers in the field. Being able to produce
be conducted for LSCO, and what with this new ability there are policies a low-density part that can be used to
modernization efforts are currently in place to help guide us in the proper extend operating periods or recover an
ongoing. Developing this intercon- use and application. Under the current aircraft forward in combat at the battal-
nected knowledge of strategy and policy, all AM parts must be approved ion- or company-level is something for
modernization will reduce the learning before use. Three-D printed parts may which we should continue to strive.
curve when it comes to the applica- look and fit as well as the original, but The starting block of this comes

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 18 January 31, 2022

from developing 3D models of current
aircraft within the fleet and any future
fleets with FVL. In partnership with
academia and, in particular, the Na-
tional Institute for Aviation Research
at Wichita State University, we have
completed a 3D model of a UH-60 in
the past few months. We will eventu-
ally have every aircraft 3D modeled
and those scans will be available for the
maintainer to use.
The 3D modeling of parts and com-
ponents opens the doors of possibility
to a fully printable system. The reality
might be a portion of a system, or a re-
inforcing part derived from a mainte-
nance engineering call. As maintenance
managers or maintainers, how will this
change or influence operations? Cur-
rently, there are several units that have
purchased, or are in the process of pur-
chasing, the most basic 3D printers to
start manufacturing approved, non-
flight critical parts and tools. The list of
items will only continue to increase. So-
phisticated printers will be able to pro-
duce more complex components. One
day in the near future, units will be able
to produce limited critical flight compo-
nents. The National Guard has already
started to produce several components
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
with 3D printers within the Aviation
Classification Repair Activity Depots.
Understanding how to safely and ef-
fectively employ the use of advanced
manufacturing in the future will enable
units to extend their reach and lethality
while operating in contested environ-
ments, across dispersed footprints, for
longer periods of time.
Prognostic and Predictive Mainte-
nance (PPMx) is a key component to
managing and maintaining the current
and future fleet of aircraft. Past health
monitoring units may have only mea-
sured vibrations, but current and future
systems will create an interconnected
catalogue of sortable data that can be
used to efficiently manage aircraft by
the tail number as opposed to by fleet.
PPMx will allow for longer intervals
between scheduled maintenance actions
and can be individualized for specific
aircraft. More importantly, PPMx will
allow commanders and maintenance
managers the ability to see what is go-
ing to fail next and address impending
failure on components prior to the time
between overhauls or well after the rec-
ommended hours for service. This will
eliminate unnecessary preventive main-
tenance. By sustaining aircraft MFOP
19
utilizing PPMx with a common health
indication data architecture across all
fleets, and implementing tail number-
based decisions, we will minimize risk
and reduce maintenance man hours and
authorized stockage list, while also ex-
tending operational reach and duration.
By having well-managed fleets with
long MFOP, we will greatly reduce the
parts needed to maintain these aircraft.
PPMx will help us with this task by
predicting only what’s needed, thus re-
ducing our logistical footprint. We are
increasing capabilities with 3D printing
and additive manufacturing to produce
parts that are needed, which improves
our operational availability and increases
our organic capabilities. Lastly, PPMx
will decrease life-cycle cost of our air-
frames by reduced maintenance on wing
of removal and replacement of parts that
still have useful safe-operating time left.
How we use and implement these
tools and systems will make the differ-
ence in winning in LSCO – and win-
ning matters.
CW5 Patrick O’Neill is the Avia-
tion Branch Maintenance Officer, U.S.
Army Aviation and Missile Command
at Redstone Arsenal, AL.
January 31, 2022
 u AMCOM Command Sergeant Major Update
Successful Sustainment Modernization
Requires Additional Maintenance Training
By CSM Bradford Smith
I n October 2021, the Army released the
four-page NCO Strategy, “Preparing
Enlisted Leaders to Compete, Fight,
and Win,” signed by the Army Chief of
Staff, General James McConville and
Sergeant Major of the Army Michael
Grinston. It is a very straight-forward
read on the NCO Strategy Purpose and
End States that has four initiatives.
I will concentrate on only one, the “Well Trained” initiative
of the NCO Strategy and “This is my Squad” in this article.
We, as an NCO Corps, can achieve the well-trained status by
using a holistic approach on all fronts to ensure we train our
maintainers to master their respective crafts within the entire
Aviation Enterprise.
Having a well-trained Soldier starts with an aviation
maintenance training program for each Soldier within the
unit. As Professional Soldiers, they should be trained to the
highest level; that is the responsibility of the unit NCOs from
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY SGT SARAH D. SANGSTER
Soldiers of the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade perform routine maintenance
on AH-64 Apache Helicopters at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii. Maintainers
identify, troubleshoot, and repair any issues the aircraft may be
experiencing.
the operational lens of the Army Learning Doman. Page two
in the NCO Strategy states “the most elite fighting forces in
the world are built upon small units and individuals who are
masters of their craft.” NCOs need to understand the purpose
of the Aviation Maintenance Training Program (AMTP)
TC 3-04.71, dated December 2020. Maintainers need to be
proficient in their craft and have/learn the knowledge they
need to progress to the next level in their respective crafts.
The Aviation Branch Command Sergeant Major, CSM James
Wilson, and his team at Fort Rucker, Alabama, are leading
the doctrine effort on the AMTP every day. Along with the
entire Aviation Enterprise, they are continuously improving
maintainer training and documentation of the training in
Digital Training Management System.
Trained maintainers need to ensure their paperwork is
accurate, especially checking to make sure they are inputting
correct work codes and accurate man-hours in logbooks, etc.
This is critically important in data collecting. Maintenance
is training. I am sure we have all heard this before and it
is true. Maintenance is training and we should take full
20 January 31, 2022
 u Enlisted Aviation Soldier Spotlight
Each issue we will feature a past AAAA National or Functional Enlisted or NCO Award winner as part of our ongoing recognition of the Best of
the Best in our Aviation Branch. The CY 2020 National winners were featured in the April/May AAAA Annual State of the Union issue.

Henry Q. Dunn Crew Chief of the Year, 2019

Sponsored by Robertson Fuel Systems

SSG Rene A. Romero

Company C, 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
(Airborne) Fort Campbell, Kentucky

S
taff Sergeant Rene A. Romero is the 2019 AAAA Crew Chief of the Year due to his
exceptional contributions to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment (Airborne). SSG Romero has served as the Charlie Company
AAPI FILE PHOTO

Standardization Instructor and a Fully Mission Qualified crew chief for the Army’s only attack
and assault helicopter company, consisting of 12 highly modified MH-60M Defensive Armed
Penetrator Black Hawk helicopters. Upon assuming the position of Company SI, SSG Romero assessed the company’s Non-Rated
Crew Member readiness and development. He created attainable goals and a plan of action to increase mission capability and
to better support the special operations ground forces. His vision, leadership, and dedication to training directly increased the
company’s combat crews, a testament to his tenacity and ability to train Soldiers. Staff Sergeant Romero has flown a total of
1,500 flight hours, of which 600 were in combat. Additionally, 300 of those hours were flown in the Mi-17 while serving as the
Standardization Instructor with the Afghani Army. He personally oversaw the training of 31 Non-Rated Crew Members in the most
specialized of Army Aviation missions. He is undoubtedly the AAAA Henry Q. Dunn Crew Chief of the Year.

advantage of this opportunity. I recommend we slow down
our maintenance. Yes, I said slow down our maintenance in
order to take full advantage of all training opportunities, in
accordance with maintenance allocation charts. We all have
seen or been there when an aircraft goes down and it seems
like it is a rush to get it back up. This is a great opportunity
to train maintainers on a task or tasks that get the aircraft
back up. With slowing down maintenance, we also need to
make sure our write-ups in Aircraft Notebook (ACN) are as
accurate and detailed as possible with all correct work codes.
Taking full advantage of this opportunity. An aircraft breaking
has the following advantages:
n Our maintainers receive training on a specific task.
n Our aircraft are properly repaired.
n The maintainers are inputting accurate data into ACN,
which will better inform maintenance on our current aircraft
and our future platforms, the Future Attack Reconnaissance
Aircraft (FARA) and the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft
(FLRAA), within the Predictive Prognostic Maintenance
(PPMX) effort.
Resources
The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM)
can assist with this holistic approach by syncing its resources
in this effort with units to help leaders, NCOs and maintainers
master their craft. AMCOM’s resources include:
Logistic Assistance Representatives (LARs) who are
embedded in nearly every aviation battalion. AMCOM
LARs have completed an extensive training program and
are subject matter experts in their field. The LARs can and
do serve as a supplement for Soldiers who are training on an
aircraft task. The units can and should rely on their knowledge
when developing Soldiers’ troubleshooting skills. Using the
AMCOM LARs as a resource can reduce the time it takes to
complete a maintenance task.
Corpus Christi Army Depot offers Soldiers depot-level
maintenance training that gives them an in-depth knowledge,
hands-on training and a wealth of experience that will enhance
a Soldier’s and a unit’s readiness.
With an uptick in aircraft corrosion issues, AMCOM offers
a corrosion training program. This program offers the following:
A survey of the overall Corrosion Program, required biennial
training, and Corrosion program hands-on assistance, train-
ing that can be offered onsite and at no cost to the unit. The
Corrosion Monitoring class can be delivered virtually or as an
in-person, three-day course at Redstone Arsenal, for which the
unit pays TDY. The Non-Destructive Testing training can be
delivered onsite at no cost or units can send personnel to Red-
stone Arsenal, again for which the unit pays the TDY. For more
information on AMCOM’s Corrosion Program, visit the web-
site at https://www.amcom.army.mil/Organization/Corrosion/.
Leaders at all levels, using a holistic approach and taking
advantage of all of the available resources, need to give
due diligence to train, develop and certify the maintainers
throughout their careers. As the battlefield continues to
morph and evolve, Army Aviation must be agile in its ability
to adapt to the constantly changing training environment. It
is the responsibility of leaders at all levels to be committed to
ensuring that units have the resources and time to provide that
training. For the more we sweat in training, the less we break
equipment.
Tradition of Excellence!
CSM Bradford Smith is the command sergeant major of the
Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command at
Redstone Arsenal, AL.

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 21 January 31, 2022

 u Combat Readiness Center Update

Aviation
Maintenance
Training Programs:
Are You in
Compliance?
By Mr. Timothy Edgette

F
U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY SPC STANFORD TORAN, 28TH ECAB
ailure to maintain Aviation assets
affects capabilities and sustainment
and has a direct impact on mission
execution.

Without the attack, lift, reconnaissance, and surveillance U.S. Army SGT Luis Carrillo, AH-64 helicopter repairer with 4-4 Attack
capabilities Aviation assets provide, the best laid plans and Renaissance Battalion, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade,
operations are nothing more than a dream of execution. performs routine maintenance on an AH-64 Apache helicopter in the 28th
Commanders rely on Aviation support, which is predicated on ECAB’s area of operations in the Middle East.
having the appropriate amount of available assets to execute
training and combat operations simultaneously. Therefore,
it is critical that Aviation commanders evaluate their unit’s 4856, which should be utilized to record Aviation maintenance
ability to perform the required (forecasted and unforecasted) events such as initial counseling and failed evaluations.
maintenance necessary to position assets appropriately. Optional forms that may be maintained in the IFRF include
Training Circular (TC) 3-04.71 is the reference for estab- DA Form 5164-R, to record an ICTL event or evaluation for
lishing an Aviation maintenance training program (AMTP). an individual, and/or DA Form 5165-R, which can be used to
The AMTP is the method by which commanders standard- record an ICTL event for a group of individuals/Soldiers.
ize Aviation maintenance training and evaluate their unit’s Once established and maintained, the IFRF and AMTP re-
maintenance capabilities. It began a phased implementation cord will allow commanders to determine if a maintainer or
in October 2018 and should have been fully implemented by maintenance leader is trained and qualified or untrained and
October 2021. The AMPT reflects a unit’s ability to main- awaiting training or evaluation. Additionally, it gives com-
tain a high operational readiness rate and establishes and manders the ability to develop training plans and opportunities
defines its maintenance level (ML) designations. AMTPs based on their unit’s ML composition. Furthermore, by focus-
are executed and maintained in accordance with TC 3-04.71 ing maintenance training at the appropriate ML and standard-
and are applicable to all components, one through three izing training, commanders and maintenance leaders ensure all
(COMPO 1, 2, 3). maintenance progression, proficiency and competency is evalu-
All Aviation maintainers conducting maintenance, services ated and measured in the same manner. Effectively, command-
or modifications should have an individual critical task list ers will know their unit’s qualifications and capabilities and be
(ICTL), which is accessible via the Central Army Registry able to program training to enhance its readiness as well as the
dashboard by military occupational specialty. Instructions individual maintainer’s skills and capabilities.
for accessing and creating an ICTL are in TC 3-04.71, Ensure your Aviation maintenance organizations are
Appendix A, Training Products Management. The ICTL adhering to and maintaining an AMTP and IFRF for each
should be maintained within Department of the Army (DA) maintainer. Failure to do so could have detrimental effects on
Form 3513 as part of the AMTP record. If DA Form 3513 is your unit’s effectiveness and capabilities as well as be found
not available, TC 3-04.71 lists a national stock number for a causal should it experience an Aviation mishap. Familiarize
tri-fold folder that will be used in lieu of the individual flight yourself with TC 3-04.71 and ensure your maintenance
records folder (IFRF). leaders and supervisors do the same.
Per TC 3-04.71, items of the AMTP record for the IFRF
include a DA Form 7817, which is used to permanently record Mr. Timothy Edgette is assigned to the G3, Investigations,
all major events and training for the individual maintainer. Reporting and Tracking for the U.S. Army Combat Readiness
Additionally, located within the AMTP record are DA Form Center, Fort Rucker, AL.

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 22 January 31, 2022

When using a Phantom Warrior ashlight, you are covert, you are agile.
Your maps are easier to read, you are safer. With ordinary ashlights, you are
easy to spot up to a mile away without NVGs, and FIVE miles away with NVGs.
How far away does the enemy need to be to see YOU? Other ashlights are
often a dangerous liability. You are more easily seen and your maps are harder
to read clearly, making you vulnerable to even a novice sniper.
 u Reserve Component Aviation Update
11th ECAB Maintainers Demonstrate
Excellence During Mobilization Training
By SPC Zachary Danaher
A s the 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade
(ECAB) prepares for the largest deployment in
Army Reserve Aviation history, a significant enabler for
the 11th ECAB’s Aviation capabilities is the behind-the-
scenes work done by the brigade’s support personnel.
From air traffic control operators to
human resource specialists, these men
and women maximize the unit’s op-
erational capabilities while minimizing
the risk involved.
One group of Soldiers who especially
stand out for their exceptional contri-
butions to the Fort Carson, Colorado-
based brigade’s post-mobilization mis-
sion at North Fort Hood, Texas, are the
Aviation maintainers. They are respon-
sible for keeping the brigade’s helicop-
ters in a mission-ready status around
the clock.
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mark Mc-
Intosh, the 11th ECAB Aviation Main-
tenance Officer, describes the Army’s
Aviation maintainer occupation as the
“magic coffee table,” a phrase popular-
ized through a skit performed by Aus-
tralian comedian Troy Kinne. “The guy
puts things on a coffee table, and he tells
us how he doesn’t understand, but what-
ever you put there magically disappears
or fixes itself,” McIntosh said. “That’s ex-
actly what everyone thinks about main-
tainers.” The repairs and inspections that
the 11th ECAB’s maintainers perform
daily are not done through a wave of a
wand, however. They are a result of the
newly revised and robust training ini-
tiative that Soldiers first receive dur-
ing their initial instruction as Aviation
maintainers. “Performing maintenance
and training is usually accomplished in
a crawl, walk then run structure,” Mc-
Intosh said. “When the aircraft flew in
here, they had issues and little things
that break here and there that we need
to fix, so our maintainers were in a dead-
heat run right from the start.”
These Soldiers arrived from over 40
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
different states at drastically different
levels of expertise. Many of them met
their coworkers for the first time here,
and some had not yet worked on a func-
tional helicopter outside of their initial
U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers with 90th Aviation Support Battalion and Delta Company, 7-158th General
Support Aviation Battalion, 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, perform inspections on a CH-
47 Chinook at North Fort Hood, TX.
training. Their enduring resolve and
professionalism would shine through,
however, as the maintainers saw them-
selves soon tasked to a CH-47 Chinook
that had reached its inspection window
for 320 flight hours.
U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sergeant
Salima Singh, the phase maintenance
team leader for the project assigned to
Bravo Company, 90th Aviation Support
Battalion (ASB), led her team through
a complex series of tasks that involved
removing the blades of the helicopter
entirely to inspect the rotors. The main-
tainers had 456 inspections that needed
to be completed over the span of 20 days,
Singh explained. Over that period, the
maintenance revealed several deficien-
cies that were properly addressed. While
the maintainers were busy making the
24
helicopter safer for flight crews, they
were also busy setting a new standard
in Army Reserve Aviation. “No one has
ever attempted to do a 320-hour phase
in this environment,” Singh said. “So,
this is somewhat like a trial run before
the next unit that is out here can have
the same opportunity that we did.”
U.S. Army Reserve SPC Matthew
King, a general maintainer with Delta
Company, 7-158th General Sup-
port Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 11th
ECAB, was thankful for the opportu-
nity to build upon his skillset outside
U.S. ARMY RESERVE PHOTO BY CPL. NICHOLAS FUEL
of the traditional battle assembly week-
ends in the Army Reserve. “I’ve gotten
more comfortable on certain tasks,” said
King. “Clearly, I don’t know everything,
but I feel more prepared when they ask
me to go complete a task than I was a
few months ago because we are out here
doing it constantly on a daily basis.”
As the 11th ECAB’s capable main-
tainers make Army Reserve Aviation
history, they will continue to leverage
their expanding skillsets to carry the
brigade’s mission forward while mo-
bilized in support of Operation Inher-
ent Resolve and Operation Spartan
Shield. “I think it’s amazing how far
we’ve come,” added McIntosh.
SPC Zachary Danaher is assigned to the
11th ECAB Public Affairs office.
January 31, 2022
 u 128th Aviation Brigade Update

The Role of Drill Sergeants in Developing

Professional Aviation Maintainers
By SSG Angel Agosto

W hile at Fort Eustis

conducting
Advanced Individual
Training (AIT) in their
Aviation specialties,
Soldiers split their time
between two roles of
cadre: Drill Sergeants
and Instructors. A good
portion of the day is spent
with instructors, learning
what it takes to become
an Aviation mechanic,
but the time outside the
classroom spent with
Drill Sergeants is critical
to shaping these young
men and women into
professional Aviation
maintainers and Soldiers.
U.S. ARMY 128THAB PHOTO

A typical day as a Drill Sergeant starts

before the sun even comes out and these
NCOs are with Soldiers until it is time
for lights out. Drill Sergeants spend
so much time with the Soldiers that
they become somewhat of a temporary
family. The Drill Sergeants represent
everything Initial Entry Training
(IET) Soldiers know of the Army, and
in turn these Soldiers want to emulate
everything the NCOs are, everything
they do, and everything they represent.
Being a Drill Sergeant is one of the
most demanding and complex jobs in
the Army, but it can also be one of the
Drill Sergeant Lakiesha Moore inspects a trainee’s preparation for the 128th AVN BDE’s “Rigor” field
training exercise.
most rewarding. No one ever forgets
their drill sergeant from Basic Combat
Training and AIT and that tradition
continues to this day.
For this reason, it is inherently
important that Drill Sergeants provide
outstanding leadership to all Soldiers.
A Drill Sergeant’s responsibility is to
provide the training that will make new
Soldiers successful in their first unit
of assignment and to create a positive
experience that will leave a mark as the
new maintainers gain their Military
Occupational Specialty (MOS). What a
Drill Sergeant does with them and for
them will impact the rest of their careers.
Drill Sergeants in AIT must be
the symbol of excellence for all new

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 26 January 31, 2022

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trainees, experts in all warrior tasks and
battle drills who live the Army values
and serve as the epitome of the Army
profession. They are responsible for
teaching, counseling, and mentoring
hundreds of young men, and women
a year as they transform from civilians
to Soldiers ready to go and execute the
Army’s mission to deploy, fight, and
win our Nation’s wars. There are three
things Drill Sergeants want TRADOC
Soldiers to be upon being released
to their first unit of assignment:
disciplined, fit, and well-trained. A
professional and ultimately caring, Drill
Sergeant-saturated environment is the
best way to achieve this.
Being an Army Aviation maintainer
requires attention to detail, discipline,
and the drive to complete all tasks by
the book. Army Aviation is an elite
part of the Army that requires the best,
and Drill Sergeants teaching basic
principles will help Soldiers carry all of
that into their daily duties. To say the
least, as a Drill Sergeant, we know there
is a direct link between prioritizing
leader development and organizational
success. Every day the Soldiers spend
in AIT is a routine, which also presents
itself as an opportunity to create
consistency, which then creates quality.
Something as simple as showing up
to formation on time or doing toolbox
inventories before initiating a task
will ensure the required outcome is
completed safely and to the standard.
In my time as a Drill Sergeant in AIT,
I can proudly say I enjoy developing
the future leaders and maintainers that
one day will probably be my Soldiers.
Ensuring their success as professionals
is one thing that I pride myself on as
an NCO and a Drill Sergeant. The
Soldiers Drill Sergeants lead today will
be the NCOs and professionals of the
future.
“Born Under Fire!”
SSG Angel Agosto is a drill sergeant
assigned to B Co., 1-222nd Aviation
Regiment, 128th Aviation Brigade, Joint
Base Langley-Eustis, VA.

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 27 January 31, 2022

 u Tech Talk

Rap Music
By Dr. Thomas L. Thompson

R on Bednarczyk, one of my colleagues at the

Systems Readiness Directorate (SRD), is an
accomplished rap artist. Although you won’t find Ron
singing and dancing on stage, making a recording in a
studio or listed among the artists on the Billboard Hot
100, you may see him “rapping” aircraft in hangars, Figure 1. Rap test setup for measuring frequency
response of a pinion gear.
assembly centers and test facilities.
Ron and his team of dynamics engineers The software processes and displays the
conduct impact or “rap” testing to results within minutes, so Ron or one of
characterize the vibration of new or his teammates can preview the results
modified aircraft components in support before leaving the test area to ensure
of Army airworthiness releases. that the data has been captured correctly
Rap testing is conducted for new air- and that it adequately characterizes the
craft components or when an existing vibration characteristics of the installa-
component is modified or installed in tion. If the data is not of sufficient qual- Figure 2. Rap test on an external store wing.
another location. The installed compo- ity, the team may adjust the location of
nent is impacted with an instrumented one or more of the accelerometers, rap
hammer, usually at several different lo- the structure with a different hammer stiffness or mounting arrangement be
cations, to excite vibration modes over or at a different location, or acquire and modified to provide greater frequency
a range of frequencies (the mass and tip average the data over a longer period to separation. For intermediate cases (3-
of the hammer can be varied to excite improve consistency and reliability. 10% separation), other factors, such as
lower or higher frequencies). Tri-axial After confirming the quality of the the damping of the mode and the ex-
accelerometers (transducers that gener- data, the team returns to the office to pected magnitude of the forcing at the
ate an electrical signal in response to the complete their analysis and write a re- component’s location, will be considered
hammer impact force in the x, y and z port that summarizes the test results and before the team makes its recommenda-
directions) measure the response of the provides recommendations for flight. tion.
installed component and the structural The engineers will first look to see if the SRD has rapped and approved a wide
elements that secure it to the airframe. natural frequencies of the installed com- variety of installations for flight, includ-
Signals from the instrumented ham- ponent are separated sufficiently (by at ing communication systems, antennae,
mer and the accelerometers are collected least 10%) from the main rotor and tail rescue hoists, search lights, nose-mount-
and processed by a dynamic signal ana- rotor forcing frequencies that it will be ed cameras, refueling probes, auxiliary
lyzer that uses Fast Fourier Transforms subjected to on the aircraft. For example, fuel tanks, machine guns and weapons
(FFTs) to calculate the frequency re- if the component is to be installed on a platforms (Figure 2). Rap testing is a
sponse function (FRF), which is sim- UH-60M helicopter, which has four very practical and efficient means of en-
ply the accelerometer response divided main rotor blades that rotate at 4.3 Hz, suring dynamic compatibility of a new
by the hammer impact force. A laptop the team will determine if any compo- installation. Although it takes longer
computer is used to interface with the nent natural frequencies are in proxim- than performing a rap song, the activity
analyzer and to control the acquisition ity of the primary forcing frequencies, is relatively quick – testing is normally
and processing of the data. A typical which occur at 17.2 Hz (4/rev), 34.4 (8/ completed in about two hours and re-
setup, showing the computer, dynamic rev) and 51.6 (12/rev). (Note that the sults are analyzed and reported to pro-
analyzer, instrumented hammer and ac- forcing frequencies occur at integer mul- gram managers within a few days.
celerometer, is shown in Figure 1. tiples of the number of blades.) If there
The laptop computer is also equipped is more than 10% separation from all Dr. Thomas L. Thompson is the chief en-
with specialized modal analysis soft- forcing frequencies, the team will likely gineer for aeromechanics at the Systems
ware that estimates frequency, damping report that the installation is satisfactory Readiness Directorate, U.S. Army Com-
and the shape for each of the vibration for flight. If there is less than 3% separa- bat Capabilities Development Command
modes (the total motion of the system is tion from a forcing frequency, the team Aviation & Missile Center, Redstone Ar-
the summation of all modal responses). may recommend the component mass, senal, AL.

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 28 January 31, 2022

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ARMY AVIATION Magazine 29 January 31, 2022
 u Ask the Flight Surgeon

Flight Surgeon: Friend or Foe?

By MAJ Brett A. Matzek, M.D., FS

T
healthy and flying, they also have a mandate to make flight duty
he relationship between a pilot and recommendations to the commander.
the Flight Surgeon has always been The Flight Surgeon is specifically trained on the science of
Aviation medicine as well as the science and tasks of Aviation duties.
a complicated one. From the early days Some may wonder why the docs fly as rated crew or fly at all. It has
of Aviation, Flight Surgeons have been been found to be the best way a physician can understand the stresses
that aircrew face, build trust and confidence with the aircrew, and
tasked with establishing and enforcing many times, it is how the doc discovers what medical issues might
medical standards to improve the safety be present. Aviation significantly dis-incentivizes the revelation and
treatment of disease. Pilots are anxiously aware that medical issues
of flight. could potentially lead to grounding. This is where a good Flight
Surgeon can put their aircrew at ease, as most medical issues do not
require grounding, those that do are often only temporary.
This task, at times, means recommending that aircrew not perform It is critically important to ensure pilots are getting their
flight duties if they develop a condition deemed distracting or information from accurate and reliable sources when it comes to
dangerous in the flight environment. Tension sometimes arises medical care. Fellow pilots, hearsay, and many online sources are often
from the perceived unilateral power of the physician to “ground” inaccurate and based on incomplete information. Each situation is
the Aviator. This action can have professional, financial, and mission nuanced. Additionally, most healthcare providers are not familiar
consequences. While the Flight Surgeon’s goal is to keep an Aviator with the stressors of flight. The Flight Surgeon must interpret their

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ARMY AVIATION Magazine 30 January 31, 2022

recommendations and treatments and make flight-duty specific
recommendations. Many assume that any condition will lead to the
loss of the ability to fly, including common things like hypertension
or sleep apnea. Obviously if this were true there would be very few
eligible pilots and the Aviation mission would not get completed.
Beyond the written regulations, Flight Surgeons are trained to use
their Aviation medicine training and clinical judgement to determine
if a condition is a danger to the safety of flight. This may be due to
sudden or subtle incapacitation. They must also consider if continued
flight duty is likely to worsen the aircrew’s condition.
The worst thing a pilot can do is falsify their medical status,
either through omission of data or production of false data. A
common example is getting treatment and medications “off the
books”. While it is against Army regulation and illegal in the civilian
world, it is also more likely to result in improper or incomplete
treatment. Consider for example, getting medication from a friend
or online source for treatment of mild asthma. It may seem that you
are adequately controlling your symptoms, but there may be better
treatment modalities available and regular disease surveillance might
not be performed as it should. Poor treatment can lead to significant
worsening of the medical condition over time. A manageable and
flight-compatible condition could evolve over time to one that
requires permanent disqualification and sometimes even a medical
evaluation board.
We have all heard the phrase, “an ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure”. Pilots certainly understand this from a mechanical
sense. You wouldn’t let an aircraft issue pass if you knew that, if left
unchecked, it could result in a catastrophic failure. The same goes for
medical conditions. If they are undertreated, hidden, or ignored for
too long, it leads to worsening of the condition. Consider back pain
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ARMY AVIATION Magazine
and neck pain, a nearly universal issue for pilots, many are worried
about bringing this up with their Flight Surgeon for fear of being
“downed”. What they may fail to realize is that treating the condition
early, with conservative treatments such as proper physical therapy,
can prevent permanent issues down the road. This is the case with
many medical issues. Treatment early will likely result in little to no
downtime, while delays in treatment may lead to permanent issues
with flight status. One must also consider that there is life after the
Army, whether in a cockpit or not, and those untreated chronic issues
may greatly decrease your future quality of life.
Hopefully, I have made the case that the Flight Surgeon is your
ally. Our goal is to keep you and your passengers safe, both during
your next flight and for years beyond. A good Flight Surgeon’s reflex
is not to “ground” a pilot, and for most conditions the surgeon can
successfully treat the condition while keeping the Aviator in the air.
Build a good relationship with your surgeon, fly with them often, and
have faith in their desire to keep you healthy and flying.
Fly Safe!
Questions for the Flight Surgeon?
If you have a question you would like addressed, email it to AskFS@
quad-a.org; we will try to address it in the future. See your unit flight
surgeon for your personal health issues.
The views and opinions offered are those of the author and
researchers and should not be construed as an official Department of
the Army position unless otherwise stated.
MAJ (Dr.) Brett A. Matzek is a flight surgeon at the School of Army
Aviation Medicine, Fort Rucker, AL.
31 January 31, 2022
Special Focus u Aviation Maintenance/Sustainment
A Modern Decision-Making Framework
for Prognostic & Predictive Maintenance
By Mr. Danny Parker, Ph.D. and LTC Andy Bellocchio, Ph.D.
P rognostic and Predictive Mainte-
nance (PPMx) is the U.S. Army’s
initiative to advance from reac-
tive maintenance posture to a proactive,
decision-based approach. Traditional
maintenance has been the combination
of correcting unexpected faults and fol-
lowing a prescribed preventive schedule.
This is akin to General George Wash-
ington and the American Army reacting
to brutally cold weather at Valley Forge
as it happened with almost no advanced
notice of changing conditions. Fast for-
ward 200-plus years and weather predic-
tions are part of our everyday life. They
help us decide what to wear each day,
whether it is safe to fly, and to anticipate
its impact on a mission. It is so prevalent
we often do not think about how to-
day’s weather prediction is informed by
a network of stations and radar that feed
advanced models capable of predicting
weather with a varying degree of accu-
racy over several days.
The maturation of a PPMx is similar
to the advancement of weather forecast-
ing. Diagnostics and failure characteris-
tics provide Aviation with a more com-
plete understanding of an aircraft’s health
much like radar and weather stations
define conditions in the sky. Prognostic
systems forecast the health of an aircraft
in the future just like weather forecast
models predict daily conditions. Such
information about the current and future
health will inform our decisions on air-
craft readiness, what maintenance needs
to be done today, and which maintenance
to do in the future to best posture for up-
coming operational demands. Planning
maintenance for the future based upon
the current health of the aircraft and its
forecasted state is known as predictive
maintenance. The advantage of PPMx is
that maintenance can be moved into pe-
riodic maintenance windows that increase
operational availability, decrease lifecycle
costs, and reduce mission disruption.
Quantifying Risk
Predictive maintenance is built on a
series of decisions following a framework
that scientifically evaluates the likelihood
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
of component failure and its effect on
the system. The approach is not much
different than the Army’s Composite
Risk Management. Risk is defined as
the product of probability (likelihood of
component failure) and severity.
Severity is measured by the criticality
of a fault and is denoted by the threat of
injury to crew and damage to systems,
repair time, repair cost, and mission
disruption. The weighting and combi-
nation of these factors, from criticality
to mission disruption, are defined in
reliability engineering as the loss func-
tion. Risk is formally calculated using a
Bayesian framework with loss functions.
The likelihood of failure is updated by
data taken in service and fused with
the criticality to give an estimate of the
risk to the platform. The risk for each
component is then synthesized into an
overall risk to the platform. A deep dive
into this topic along with the data re-
quirements and calculations are best re-
served for a technical article; however, it
is important to know the minimization
of the composite risk drives the deci-
sion to conduct a maintenance action in
the current window or defer to the next
window. The framework accurately as-
sesses and properly bounds predictions
and conveys that information to com-
manders, maintainers, and logisticians.
32
AUTHOR GRAPHIC
Figure 1. PPMx Supporting a Maintenance
Free Operating Period (MFOP)
Using to Risk to Modernize
Maintenance Decisions
Making predictions about the future
is inherently a probabilistic task. Uncer-
tainty grows the further into the future a
prediction is made. We have experienced
this. Weather predictions becoming less
reliable the further in the future they
forecast. The same is true for compo-
nents that experience wear and fatigue
in the rotor, flight controls, airframe, en-
gine, drive, and weapon systems. Figure
1 illustrates the probability of failure in-
creasing with accumulation of wear dur-
ing flight hours. In practice, an onboard
diagnostic system makes an estimate of
the current health state. Next, expected
usage and prognostic models forecast
failure times where the spread increases
the further in the future.
Figure 1 illustrates PPMx supporting
a maintenance free operating period
(MFOP). The MFOP, shaded green,
provides an extended period of operation
without disruption by maintenance.
The recovery period, shaded orange,
consolidates maintenance tasks between
the operating period. The key question
when entering a recovery period is,
“what is the likelihood each component
survives to the next recovery period?” To
answer this question, a measurement is
performed that assesses the health state
January 31, 2022
while in the maintenance window. This
can be done through a combination of
embedded solutions and non-destructive
inspections (NDI). The estimated health
state is then combined with expected
usage to predict the remaining useful
life (RUL). Because of the uncertainty
in predicting the future, a range of
possibilities is computed. This is shown
as a blue normal distribution. The dotted
lines that lead from the current health
estimate to the future, represent the
probability that the component survives
at least that many hours. The most likely
time of failure (highest point in the
distribution) is called the expected RUL,
but the component may fail at any of the
times under the distribution.
As indicated by the blue hash area, the
component has a 90% chance to remain
functional by the end of the MFOP
and, consequently, a 10% chance the
component will fail. The future risk is
the product of this 10% probability and
the criticality of the component. With
this estimate of the future, a maintainer
has the information necessary to make
appropriate maintenance decisions
today. If the risk is unacceptable then
framework can be queried for which
components are driving the risk over
the acceptable threshold.
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ARMY AVIATION Magazine
Uncertainty is Costly
Under PPMx, the uncertainty
about the RUL adds complexity to
the maintenance decision. Using the
weather example, if the forecast gives
a 40% chance of rain in five days, a
traveler may pack an umbrella for a
trip. Thus, the uncertainty about the
prediction influences actions today as we
hedge against future risk. The significant
conclusion is that with less variation
around the predicted RUL, the longer a
component will remain on wing and the
more benefits will be seen from PPMx.
Risk mitigation is a core goal under
PPMx. To maintain safety, most of
the time the failure will never occur.
For aircraft using PPMx in an MFOP
strategy, some near-but-not-yet-failed
parts will be removed. In doing this,
the maintainer is trading economically
useful life for uninterrupted flight
operations. These parts would still
be operating in the prescribed limits
but will be removed because they
are expected to fail before the next
maintenance window.
Our inability to know the exact mo-
ment of component failure is quantified
by the uncertainty. The uncertainty about
the health statement drives maintenance
actions which then raise sustainment
33
costs and keep availability low. Better di-
agnostic systems and prognostic models
with reduced uncertainty maximize the
use of the RUL to save money and mini-
mize mission disruption.
Conclusion
The changes to the current sustain-
ment system required to implement
PPMx are numerous and go beyond
adding sensors to the aircraft. Formal-
izing the decision framework first is of
upmost importance since all require-
ments (data, accuracy, organizational,
and training) flow from that implemen-
tation. Policies need to be created and
changed as necessary to allow for prob-
abilistic assessments of the future health
state. Hardware requirements and stan-
dardization should be developed. Train-
ing should be done to guide humans
on how to use risk-based assessments
of the future and the limitations of the
information provided.
Mr. Danny Parker, Ph.D. is a researcher
with GTD Unlimited in Huntsville,
Alabama and LTC Andy Bellocchio, Ph.D.
is currently a member of the faculty at the
United States Military Academy, West
Point, New York.
| summit-aviation.com/salute
January 31, 2022
Special Focus u Aviation Maintenance/Sustainment
Aviation PPMx Life Cycle
Current & Future
AMCOM Employs PPMx to Make Faster
& Better Decisions, Improve Readiness,
& Build Overwhelming Combat Power
By Mr. Dave Ware
T he U.S. Army’s Aviation Maintenance Program is at
a crossroads: Either we continue to dive head-first
into the 1970s or we embrace new and emerging
technologies and concepts. One of the new concepts we
must embrace is Prognostic and Predictive Maintenance
(PPMx). PPMx as a term has replaced Condition Based
Maintenance Plus (CBM+) for the Army, but it is more
than just a change in terminology. It is a change in
philosophy and methodology. PPMx is an evolutionary
step in Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) and builds
upon the success we had in the past with CBM and CBM+
So, what is PPMx? According to the draft Department
of the Army Execution Order, PPMx is “the application
and integration of appropriate processes, technologies,
and knowledge-based capabilities to use authoritative and
emerging data to achieve foresight in combat system health
ARMY AVIATION Magazine 34
U.S. ARMY AMCOM GRAPHIC
management enabling leaders to make faster and better
decisions, improve readiness, and build overwhelming
combat power at the point of contact.”
What PPMx is not. PPMx is not one thing nor is it the
sole solution to all of our maintenance challenges. PPMx is
a concept and a collection of multiple things. It is sensored
components on Army equipment, reliability-centered
maintenance (RCM), maintenance and supply data from
Aircraft Notebook (ACN) and Global Combat Support
System-Army (G-Army), and it is emerging concepts
like Maintenance Steering Group, digital twins of Army
aircraft, and future processes enabled by advancements
in technology. All of these things combined make up the
PPMx construct.
PPMx is made up of five domains: Collect, Transmit,
Analyze, Decide/Act and Store/Protect. The aviation
January 31, 2022
community, specifically the three enduring aircraft
platforms, have been operating within all five PPMx
domains for a long time, but that does not mean that we
have been doing it effectively. For example, in the collect
domain, we do not have one clear download standard for our
enduring platforms, this creates some confusion and impacts
reoccurring downloads. Also, the data that is coming off of
a platform is not in a standardized format. To fully exploit
PPMx data the enterprise needs to establish a standardized
data format that does not require software keys or Original
Equipment Manufacturer support.
One challenging area is the Analyze and Decide/Act
domains. Currently, the enduring platforms all use separate
edge-of-the-platform software suites for collecting and
transmitting data. The data that is transmitted to the
enterprise is raw, uncleansed data, which in some cases
requires software keys to view. This is problematic for
members of the enterprise to then analyze the data and
assist in the Decide/Act domain.
One of the most important components of PPMx is
maintenance data that is found in ACN. There are two major
roles the data in ACN plays. First, ACN maintenance data
is the foundation for good RCM analytics. RCM, if done
correctly, helps us identity maintenance drivers and bad
actors. Second, ACN data supports sensor data analytics.
For sensor data to be fully functional, we need to see what
maintenance actions were taken as a result of the sensor
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
alert. That is why good, reliable ACN data is so important.
The field can help with ensuring clean ACN data by doing a
few simple things. First, enter the correct Work Unit Codes
(WUC); second, slow down and ensure you are making
clear and concise write ups; and third, make sure you are
capturing the correct man hours for the task completed.
The entire Army Aviation Enterprise needs to make an
effort to embrace the change that PPMx is going to bring; if
not, we will never be able to exploit PPMx to its fullest. Our
future systems are already embracing this change. The Future
Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team will include embedded
PPMx systems that will enable us to revolutionize how
we maintain aircraft. For the enduring fleet, change will
start at the field level. It is important that maintainers are
downloading and transmitting the data to the enterprise.
Maintainers and maintenance test pilots need to ensure all
PPMx hardware is serviceable and maintenance test pilots
need to review the PPMx data coming off platform. These
simple acts will ensure that we are successfully exploiting
PPMx moving forward. In some cases, it will take time for
the field to see the benefits that are realized from PPMx, but
rest assured, they are coming.
Mr. Dave Ware is the PPMx lead for the
AMCOM G3M Sustainment Support Branch
at Redstone Arsenal, AL.
35 January 31, 2022
 Special Focus u Aviation Maintenance/Sustainment
Training for Flaw Detection Is Vital
Prior To Assembly By Ms. Joyce L. Myers
U.S. ARMY AMCOM PHOTO
Left Top: A 3D-printed UH-60 External Electrical
Connector Cover made using a digital scan.
Using the digital scans of parts, Soldiers will
be able to print their own replacement parts in
forward-deployed areas.
U.S. ARMY AMCOM PHOTO
Left Bottom: A 3D-printed UH-60 Landing Light
Box made using a digital scan.
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
T he U.S. Army Aviation and Mis-
sile Command (AMCOM) con-
tinues to lean forward and in-
vest in the future. As an Army lifecycle
management command, AMCOM de-
velops and delivers responsive aviation,
missile, and calibration readiness to the
U.S. Army in order to optimize a force
ready for Multi-Domain Operations.
One such way that AMCOM is lean-
ing forward is by fully embracing digital
transformation to improve aviation sus-
tainment and readiness.
Looking across the organization’s
people, processes, and technologies, the
command identified a need for a cen-
tralized oversight of digital transforma-
tion efforts, including data and analytics
governance. AMCOM’s strategy and
implementation framework are fully
nested with the Army’s Digital Trans-
formation Strategy Lines of Effort.
In support of the Army’s Digital
Transformation Strategy’s Lines of Ef-
fort 2 and 3 – Readiness and Modern-
ization, AMCOM published a Data and
Analytics Strategy that recognizes data
as a strategic asset to achieve interop-
erability and for decision making. As
such, AMCOM established a Data and
Analytics Center to provide oversight/
36
ISTOCK PHOTO-129590010
governance of enterprise, non-enterprise,
and digital data created by or used by the
command in support of its mission.
One way in which AMCOM is em-
ploying digital data is by making three-
dimensional designs of Army Aviation
parts to replace the current two-di-
mensional drawings the Army uses for
aviation platforms. AMCOM is cur-
rently leading the UH-60L Blackhawk
Digital Twin project, a prototype effort
covering different life-cycle phases in-
cluding concept, proof-of-principle,
and operational. This unique, complex,
and innovative three-dimensional mod-
eling effort will ultimately help reduce
sustainment costs, potentially extend
the life of parts, improve operational
availability for existing fleets, inform
advanced manufacturing projects, and
posture the Army to successfully man-
age large quantities of data for modern-
ized systems in the future.
As part of this integrated and multi-
organizational pathfinder effort and
in support of the Army Digital Trans-
formation Strategy Line of Effort 2,
People and Partnerships, AMCOM is
partnering with Office of the Secretary
of Defense Strategic Capabilities Of-
fice, Army Futures Command, Program
January 31, 2022
Executive Office Aviation, U.S. Army
Combat Capabilities Development
Command, academia and industry to
complete multiple tasks as part of this
proof of principle which include: re-
ceive and store three-dimensional mod-
els and global finite element models,
view digital data and perform engineer-
ing analysis. This proof of principle also
helps identify roles, access, hardware
and software requirements, personnel
and funding requirements. Addition-
ally, it is documenting the resources
required to inform not only current
sustainment through lessons learned,
but also inform upcoming acquisition
and sustainment efforts for future avia-
tion and ground platforms for both the
Army and the Department of Defense.
As with anything new, there are often
unknowns and unplanned complexities.
As the project matures, multiple op-
portunities for reform are being identi-
fied. This effort directly aligns with the
Army Digital Strategy Objective of Re-
form - Optimized and mission-aligned
digital investments providing greater
value to the Army. Throughout all phas-
es of this project, using the people, pro-
cesses, technology and methodology,
AMCOM first identified the relevant
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
stakeholders and created a project team.
This team has been instrumental in
bringing forth requirements and con-
cerns from each unique perspective that
has allowed for a more comprehensive
and relevant pathfinder. This will allow
the Army to identify and implement
digital investments supporting mission-
aligned processes and technology.
The project team worked to identify
existing processes and, in doing so, iden-
tified process gaps. These process gaps are,
in most cases, related to gaps in resources
(people and technology), an understand-
ing of the overall effort at all levels, clear-
ly defined roles and responsibilities across
the multiple organizations, lack of fund-
ing, lack of clearly defined and/or agreed
upon data standards or non-existent pro-
cesses as this is an emerging technology
within the DoD.
One of the key findings thus far has
been the need for the Army to identify
and agree upon a common system
agnostic industry data standard to
ensure interoperability regardless of the
originating source of the digital data.
Continuing with the people, process,
and technology methodology, the proj-
ect team took a closer look at the ex-
isting technology and data architecture
37
currently used by the Army to support
this digital effort. DoD is working with
its industry partners to quickly procure
and implement the most current soft-
ware/hardware to support digital efforts
and adjust the supporting architecture.
AMCOM is working to mitigate soft-
ware, hardware, and configuration and
setting the standard for Army efforts on
product lifecycle management tools and
capabilities across its footprint.
As AMCOM leans forward in
support of digital transformation and
modernization, we continue to research
and pursue cutting-edge technologies,
business processes, methodologies and
how best to implement them across
the Army and are working to identify
and cultivate the appropriate workforce
skills needed to improve its sustainment
missions, directly aligning with the
Army’s objective to create a tech savvy,
operationally effective digital workforce
partnered with a robust network of al-
lies, industry, and academia.
Ms. Joyce L. Myers is the
AMCOM chief data and
analytics officer located at
Redstone Arsenal, AL.
January 31, 2022
Special Focus u Aviation Maintenance/Sustainment
Corpus Christi Army Depot Supports the
Army’s Modernization Initiatives
By Mr. Richard Lewis
T o meet the Army’s evolving needs,
Corpus Christi Army Depot
(CCAD) is working to modernize
and ensure it remains the Army’s premier
helicopter and component repair and
remanufacturing facility. As the Army
looks toward fielding its planned future
aircraft systems, the modernization of
CCAD to meet its enduring and future
requirements becomes more important
to the Nation. CCAD’s modernization
strategy is directly linked to its future
31+4 weapon system workload to ensure
it is prepared and capable to provide re-
quired support at the time of need. This
linkage provides Army Senior Leaders a
guidepost to communicate critical deci-
sion impacts and ensure that essential
modernization steps are targeted and met.
AMCOM Logistics Center and
CCAD continue to work directly with
the Army Futures Command, Future
Vertical Lift Cross-functional Team
and Program Executive Officer Avia-
tion program managers to define and
link those workload projections to
backward planning to ensure those ca-
pabilities are available when needed.
This strategy then links critical actions
from technology implementation, in-
dustrial process changes, equipment
installation, facility modernization,
infrastructure resiliency and workforce
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
adaptability development that will in-
crease CCAD’s capability, speed, safety,
flexibility, and operational efficiency.
Technology Initiatives
Innovation, technology identifica-
tion, development, and implementation
improvements at CCAD are driven
through Innovation champions selected
from its workforce. These champions
oversee the validation, planning and
implementation processes. CCAD does
this to ensure that only viable technolo-
gies are implemented, and appropriate
plans, policies and conditions are in
place to exploit the benefits of those
technologies. Champions facilitate
the overall effort, overcome obstacles,
apprise leadership, and integrate the
technology. These champion-driven
initiatives support worker safety and
production by increasing efficiency and
accuracy, reducing re-work, and mini-
mizing repair turnaround times.
Current initiatives:
n Joint Autonomous Repair Verifica-
tion and Inspection System ( JARVIS I)
– Improved manufacturing accuracy and
repeatability for parts supporting UH-
60 RECAP and the conversion of UH-
60L models to UH-60V models.
n JARVIS II - Autonomous blade re-
pair for the UH-60L.
38
U.S. ARMY CCAD PHOTO
The Joint Autonomous Repair Verification
and Inspection System (JARVIS II) provides
autonomous blade repair for the UH-60L. It is
one facet of the modernization taking place at
AMCOM’s Corpus Christi Army Depot.
n Cold Spray technology - Increase as-
set life and capability for component re-
build.
n Blue Light Scanning - Perform com-
plex material inspection, measurements,
and templating.
n E-Drill system - Improved ergonom-
ics, accuracy, repeatability, and speed in
removing hard material fasteners on the
AH-64 and CH-47.
n UH-60 Digital Twin – Provides 3D
modeling of UH-60L parts to support
tooling for recapitalization.
Planned future initiatives:
n Smart Toolboxes - Automatically is-
sue and inventory tools based on need
using computer and camera-control
technology.
n Collaborative Robot (COBOT) Tech-
nology - Enhance worker safety, effec-
tiveness, and efficiency in the perfor-
mance of industrial tasks.
n Industrial Control Network Up-
grades – Captures automated machine
information and links to data from pro-
cess control systems allowing transition
of information between machines, pro-
January 31, 2022
cess tracking, capture of high-quality extreme weather events with changing prerequisite skills are available when
data and timely generation of informa- climate conditions. needed. CCAD is currently pursuing
tion facilitating effective management Aircraft Remanufacturing – Hangar the development of a Virtual Interactive
and resource decisions. modernization to support aircraft re- Environment Trainer that would allow
capitalization efforts began in FY21 and artisans to be trained on repairs to
Facility Initiatives will provide more operationally flexible engines, transmissions, gearboxes, and
Health and Safety – AMCOM and and energy-efficient facilities and equip- structures. When implemented this
CCAD are aggressively pursuing process ment. With the addition of HVAC would reduce the current workload on
and technology advances that optimize capabilities to these hangars, these im- the most capable artisans by mentoring
production, minimize cost, and increase provements will reduce worker risk of the younger workforce, allowing them
workforce safety all at the same time. In heat-related injuries, increase hours that to directly impact workload execution.
FY21, the CCAD Aircraft Corrosion work can be performed, and help mini- It would also allow for cross training of
Control Facility became operational. mize corrosion. Further modernization individuals making them more flexible
This new environmentally controlled, of the remaining three hangars will and adaptable to a changing workload.
large-scale paint facility integrates new continue in out-years. In the long term,
processes and equipment into the facil- CCAD will consolidate all primary re- Conclusion
ity to ensure mission accomplishment capitalization efforts into a new facil- CCAD will remain the premier he-
and provides a higher quality work envi- ity (Aircraft Remanufacturing Facility) licopter and component repair and
ronment for the CCAD workforce. This located where the existing Building 8 remanufacture facility by understand-
facility allowed CCAD to implement a footprint is currently, through another ing its current and future workloads
hexavalent chrome-free primer that re- multi-phase MCA project effort. and ensuring its workforce, processes,
duces workforce exposure risk. These ef- equipment, and facilities are capable
forts have since been transitioned to the Workforce Initiatives and flexible to meet those require-
aircraft maintenance footprint around Human capital is a critical effort ments. This integrated approach allows
the world. within the CCAD strategy. As workload CCAD to meet the Army’s and DoD’s
Infrastructure Planning – Facility changes, to support new weapon systems, helicopter and component repair effec-
and supporting infrastructure modern- the processes, facilities, and workforce tively and efficiently and remanufacture
ization are the “long pole in the tent,” all need to be ready to meet those requirements into the future.
taking the longest to plan, program requirements. CCAD has recruitment,
and construct, but they are critical in development, and retention programs
ensuring CCAD can meet its planned in place. Those programs will adapt to Mr. Richard Lewis is the chief of the
mission workload. As such, CCAD the changing needs of the production Engineering Branch at Corpus Christi
developed an Area Development Plan floor so that the artisans with the Army Depot, TX.
that lays out the planned moderniza-
tion blueprint and integrates it into
the overall Naval Air Station Corpus
Christi’s Master Plan.
Building 8 Powertrain – Due to
production/operational impacts, the
Army made the decision to replace the
existing primary industrial facility on
CCAD (Building 8) with a new modern,
adaptable, and flexible facility sized to
meet both enduring and future missions
through phased Military Construction-
Army (MCA) projects. This new
facility consolidates all powertrain and
component repair into one facility,
Building 1700. This phased MCA
effort remains on a two-year execution
schedule, with two phases complete and
operating, one under construction, one
in the design, and the last two in the
planning/programming phase. Along
with being a modern, bright, and clean
workspace that increases the flexibility
and capacity of the depot to meet its
mission, it also provides an energy-
efficient modern work environment
for CCAD’s artisans that has been
hardened and elevated above historical
and expected hurricane storm surge
to provide additional resiliency for the
mission to withstand and recover from
ARMY AVIATION Magazine 39 January 31, 2022
 National Award Recipients
Army Aviation Association of America

AAAA presented the 2019 and 2020 National Awards, the 2020 and 2021 Functional Awards, and conducted the 2020 and 2021
Hall of Fame Inductions during the 2021 Joseph P. Cribbins Training, Equipping & Sustainment Symposium, Nov. 15-17, at the
Von Braun Center, Huntsville, AL. The presentations/inductions were delayed until this first in-person gathering as a result of the
safety and health procedures/restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. Congratulations to all our awardees and inductees.

AAAA
National
Award
Recipients
2019 & 2020
The awardees were
congratulated by
LTG Erik C. Peterson,
Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8,
Joseph P. Cribbins Rodney J.T. Yano NCO of Robert M. Leich Award,
U.S. Army and the Army Department of the Army the Year Award, 2019 2019
Aviation Branch Chief Civilian of the Year, 2019 Sponsored by Lockheed Martin Sponsored by Airbus
Corporation
and Commanding General Sponsored by The Boeing Company Detachment 1, Company D
Mr. John R. Scott SSG Kevin N. Brandt 177th Brigade Engineer
of the U.S. Army Aviation Headquarters and Headquarters Company B, 2nd Battalion Battalion
Center of Excellence, Company, 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations (Georgia Army National Guard)
MG David J. Francis. 223rd Aviation Regiment, Fort Aviation Regiment (Airborne) Savannah, GA
Rucker, AL Fort Campbell, KY Accepting the award CPT
Robert W. Gartner(Commander);
SFC Lee Muñoz (Senior NCO)

USAR Aviation Unit of the
Year, 2019
Sponsored by Honeywell
5th Battalion, 159th
Aviation Regiment
Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA
Accepting the award – LTC Nathan
T. Chernecke (Commander)
John J. Stanko ARNG
Aviation Unit of the Year,
2019
Sponsored by Honeywell
1st Battalion, 130th
Aviation Regiment
Morrisville, NC
Accepting the award – LTC Mark
A. Van Veldhuizen (Commander)
Active Aviation Unit of the
Year, 2019
Sponsored by L3Harris
1st Battalion, 1st Aviation
Regiment
Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st
Infantry Division, Fort Riley, KS
Accepting the award – MAJ
Richard D. Kubu and 1SG David A.
Garcia
Outstanding Aviation Unit
of the Year Award, 2019
Sponsored by The Boeing Company
160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment
(Airborne)
Fort Campbell, KY
Accepting the award –COL Kyle M.
Hogan (Deputy Commander);
CSM Christopher J. Kitchens
(Senior NCO)

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 40 January 31, 2022

 National Award Recipients
Army Aviation Association of America
Note: The following individual awardees for 2019 were not able to attend; their award was accepted by a member of their command or MG Francis
James H. McClellan Aviation Safety Award – Henry Q. Dunn Crew Chief of the Year –
CW3 Frank D. Kirby, 3-160th SOAR (Abn) SSG Rene A. Romero, C/1-160th SOAR (Abn)
Gary G. Wetzel Aviation Soldier of the Year – Michael J. Novosel Aviator of the Year –
SPC Zackery P. Packer, D/3-160th SOAR (Abn) CW3 Nicholas N. Nenoff, B/1-160th SOAR (Abn)

Joseph P. Cribbins
Department of the Army
Civilian of the Year, 2020
Sponsored by The Boeing Company
Ms. Crystal D. Martinez
Headquarters and Headquarters
Company,
3rd Battalion, 160th Special
Operations Aviation Regiment
Hunter Army Airfield, GA
James H. McClellan Gary G. Wetzel Aviation Henry Q. Dunn Crew Chief
Aviation Safety Award, Soldier of the Year Award, of the Year Award, 2020
2020 2020 Sponsored by Robertson Fuel Systems,
Sponsored by General Electric Sponsored by Bell L.L.C.
Aviation SSG Jaymeson K. Busche
SPC (now CPL) Benjamin
CW3 Daniel A. Cruz E. Mingus Company C, 1st Battalion,
1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Company D, 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations
Regiment 101st Aviation Regiment Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
Task Force Sabre Fort Campbell, KY Fort Campbell, KY
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade
Fort Bragg, NC

Robert M. Leich Award,
2020
Sponsored by Airbus
CW3 Jeremy B. Rogers
Company F, 1st Battalion,
160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
Fort Campbell, KY
John J. Stanko ARNG
Aviation Unit of the Year,
2020
Sponsored by Honeywell
2nd Battalion, 147th
Aviation Regiment
Task Force Ragnar
Saint Paul, MN.
Accepting the award – CSM John
J. Thompson (Senior NCO)
Active Aviation Unit of the
Year, 2020
Sponsored by L3Harris
1st Squadron, 17th
Cavalry Regiment
Task Force Sabre
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade
Fort Bragg, NC
Accepting the award, LTC Joseph
A. Clark (Commander); CSM Daniel
A. Lambarena (Senior NCO)
Outstanding Aviation Unit
of the Year Award, 2020
Sponsored by The Boeing Company
34th Expeditionary
Combat Aviation Brigade
St. Paul, MN
Accepting the award – MAJ David
A. Wagner and SGM Mark A.
Swedeen

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 41 January 31, 2022

 Functional Award Recipients
AAAA
Functional
Award
Recipients
2020 & 2021
The awardees were
congratulated by
LTG Thomas H. Todd,
Deputy Commanding
General for Acquisition &
Systems Management, U.S.
Army Futures Command,
and the Commanding
General of the U.S. Army
Aviation and
Missile Command,
MG K. Todd Royar.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Unit of the Year Award, 2020
Sponsored by Textron Systems
Company D, 82nd
Aviation Regiment
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Accepting the award – CPT Ryan T.
Eckerson (Commander)
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
Army Aviation Association of America
Outstanding Logistics
Support Unit of the Year, 2020
Sponsored by AAAA
834th Aviation Support
Battalion
34th Combat Aviation Brigade
Camp Buehring, Kuwait
Accepting the award –
MAJ David A. Wagner
(Commander); CSM Marc A.
Dempsey (Senior NCO)
Army Aviation Fixed Wing
Unit Award, 2020
Sponsored by CAE USA Defense &
Security
206th Military
Intelligence Battalion
(Aerial Intelligence)
Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
Accepting the award –
LTC Alex M. Humes and 1SG
Russell L. Lane.
42
Materiel Readiness Award
For A Contribution By A Major
Contractor, 2020
Sponsored by AAAA
M1 Support Services
Fort Rucker, Alabama
Accepting the award –
Ms. Kathy Hildreth
Outstanding Logistics
Support Unit of the Year, 2021
Sponsored by AAAA
628th Aviation Support
Battalion
Task Force Roadrunner
Camp Buehring, Kuwait
Accepting the award –
LTC Michael S. Gross
(Commander); CSM Scott W.
Fleming (Senior NCO)
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Soldier of the Year Award,
2020
Sponsored by General Atomics
Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
CW2 John C. Hergert
Company D, 82nd Aviation
Regiment,
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade,
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Materiel Readiness Award
For A Contribution By An
Individual, 2021
Sponsored by AAAA
Mr. Kevin Belden
DigiFlight, Inc.
Huntsville, Alabama
January 31, 2022
 Functional Award Recipients
Materiel Readiness Award
for a Contribution by a Small
Business, 2021
Sponsored by AAAA
Pinnacle Solutions, Inc.
Huntsville, Alabama
Accepting the award –
Tina Tucker (left) and Krista Ochs
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Operations Technician of the
Year Award, 2021 (inaugural)
Sponsored by AAAA
CW4 Joseph M. Whittaker
Company E, 2nd Battalion,
160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
Army Aviation Association of America
Materiel Readiness Award
for a Contribution by an
Industry Team, Group Or
Special Unit, 2021
Sponsored by AAAA
Project Manager
Apache New Equipment
Training Team
DigiFlight / VTG Defense /
System Studies & Simulations,
Inc., Huntsville, Alabama.
Accepting the award – Mr. Stanford
Oliver (left) and Mr. John Haeme
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Unit of the Year Award, 2021
Sponsored by Textron Systems
Company E, 2nd Battalion,
160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Accepting the award – MAJ Joshua
B. Kassel (Commander); 1SG Tony
J. James (Senior NCO)
43
Materiel Readiness Award
for a Contribution by a Major
Contractor, 2021
Sponsored by AAAA
M1 Support Services
Fort Rucker, Alabama
Accepting the award –
Mr. William Shelt
Army Aviation Fixed Wing
Unit Award, 2021
Sponsored by CAE USA Defense &
Security
15th Military Intelligence
Battalion (Aerial
Exploitation)
Fort Hood, Texas
Accepting the award – LTC Erin P.
Davis (Commander); CW4 Frank M.
Webb (Senior NCO)
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Soldier of the Year Award,
2021
Sponsored by General Atomics
Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
SGT Damian P. Del Rae
Company F, 2nd Battalion,
160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Note: The following individual
awardees for 2020 were not
able to attend; the award was
accepted by a member of their
command or MG Francis –
Rodney J.T. Yano NCO of the
Year –
SGT Daniel J. Crandall,
1-58th Avn. Regt.
Michael J. Novosel Aviator of
the Year –
CW2 Joseph C. Dadiomoff,
B/1-160th SOAR (Abn)
There was no USAR Unit of the
Year selected for 2020.
January 31, 2022
 Hall of Fame Inductees
Army Aviation Association of America
The induction was conducted by Dr. (COL, Ret.) Hal Kushner, past chairman of the Hall of Fame Trustees, and Army Aviation Branch
Chief and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, MG David J. Francis.

2020 2021

SGM Gregory M. Chambers (left of photo) with escort, Hall of Fame CSM (Ret.) Tod L. Glidewell (left of photo) with escort, Hall of Fame
member CSM (Ret.) Buford Thomas Jr. member SGM (Ret.) Kenneth G. Rich

CW5 Douglas M. Englen (left of photo) with escort, Hall of Fame CW5 (Ret.) Daniel R. Jolotta (left of photo) with escort, Hall of Fame
member CW5 (Ret.) Gerold Dean Brown member CW5 (Ret.) Paul L. Price

MG David J. Francis accepts the induction on behalf of LTC Ace A. CPT (Ret.) James E. Stein (left of photo) with escort, Hall of Fame
Cozzalio (Deceased) and his family member COL (Ret.) William S. Reeder

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 44 January 31, 2022

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AAAA 16th Luther G. Jones
Army Aviation Depot Forum Held
in Corpus Christi By Kathleen (Kat) Pettaway-Clarke
A nother indication of Texas re-
sumption to normalcy was the
Army Aviation Association of
America hosting the 16th Luther G.
Jones Army Aviation Depot Forum at
the Solomon P. Ortiz International
Center Dec.7-8. This year’s theme was
“Modernizing Depot Maintenance in
Sync with Army Aviation.” Retired MG
Tim Crosby, AAAA national president,
emceed the event. The last forum was
held in 2019.
The forum was named after the
former Corpus Christi Army Depot
commander and Corpus Christi mayor.
COL Luther Griffin Jones Jr. served
in the U.S. Army during World War
II from 1939 to1945 and the Vietnam
War from 1958 to 1973; he then served
as the mayor of Corpus Christi from
1979 to 1987.
During opening remarks, CCAD
Commander COL Joseph H. Parker
complimented the dedication of CCAD
workforce for their support of the war-
fighter throughout the pandemic. “We
have a great workforce, with outstand-
ing members who perform great things
daily - they are people from this commu-
nity,” Parker said. “We can’t thank them
enough. Every day CCAD has been open
for business to keep the Army flying.”
Attendees received updates on
CCAD’s current and future workforce,
modernization efforts and readiness
plans. Industry partners, potential
partners and military elements were
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
BG (Ret.) Tim Edens (AAAA National Secretary, left) moderates a panel discussion with industry
representatives (left to right) Glenn Isbell (Bell), Dina Halvorsen (Sikorsky), COL (Ret.) Garner Pogue
(General Electric), and David McFarland (Parker Hannifin Corp).
able to gather once again and discuss
technological advancements of each
organization.
Opening
“We have a lot of public private part-
nerships that allow us to work together
with industry and our local educational
institutions,” Parker said. “By working
together, CCAD produces fantastic air-
craft. CCAD is an original equipment
manufacturer with partnerships that
transform the UH-60L to UH-60V.”
In a prerecorded video message, Rep.
Michael Cloud, Texas 27th Congres-
sional District, said, “Army aviation is
vital to national defense. The work at
CCAD – the products and the value of
the artisan’s work – is being noticed on a
national level.”
U.S. Army Materiel Command Sol-
dier of the Year SPC Christian Kerka-
do-Colon served as an escort to Corpus
Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo. “As
mayor of the city, our support for our
base and their tenants will remain strong.
As one of the largest employers in our
city, the relationship must also be seam-
less.” One out of 100 people in the Cor-
pus Christi area is employed at CCAD.
The depot has an economic impact of
$1.7 billion to the local community.
MG Todd Royar, U.S. Army Avia-
46
AAPI PHOTO BY BILL HARRIS
tion and Missile Command com-
manding general, delivered the keynote
address. “Processes, policies and proce-
dures in place will ensure CCAD’s vi-
ability moving into the future,” he said.
“That includes its organic industrial base
possessing the capacity and the capabil-
ity for large scale combat operations.”
CCAD will take possession of a ro-
botic blade repair machine, known as
Joint Autonomous Repair Verification
and Inspection System II. Blade repair
time will be reduced from 30 days to less
than one week. Royar expressed the im-
portance of protecting intellectual prop-
erty and traceability for accountability
purposes in modernization technologies.
“Additive manufacturing compo-
nents should be cataloged for traceabili-
ty,” he said. “So, if a part is manufactured
accurately and cataloged, we’ll be able to
identify whether CCAD, Rock Island
[Arsenal] or elsewhere produced the
part. Ideally, the label would read ‘pro-
duced by Corpus Christi Army Depot.’”
“As far as working together, our in-
dustry partners help [Army aviation] to
increase the product quality.”
Panel Discussions
In the future, CCAD will support
sustainable strategic depth for the avia-
tion enterprise. A recurring sentiment
January 31, 2022
at the forum was having a unified or
standard approach to the industry and
Army prognostic predictive mainte-
nance throughout the forum – in other
words, have similar products that fit in
all aircraft to benefit the maintainer.
Think tanks assembled to brainstorm
how organizations could modernize and
partner to benefit the warfighter. Col-
laborative opportunities with military
leaders, government civilians, industry
leaders and academic institutions were
part of the panel discussions that mu-
tually supported the depot’s moderniza-
tion plans was the key.
Some modernization topics includ-
ed augmented virtual reality and digital
dashboards/ digital demands; additive
manufacturing and blue light technol-
ogy, thermoplastics, plating and cold
spray. Additional modernization topics
were rapid prototyping, advanced blade
repair and manufacturing innovations.
During a panel discussion, AM-
COM Logistics Center Executive
Director Brian Wood expanded on
predictive maintenance. “It involves
correct data as a key point of commu-
nication, changes to onboarding item
managers, more in-depth processes for
contracts and further supply engage-
ments with partners,” he said. Additive
manufacturing data collection points
can also be an information resource to
fix aircraft, ultimately shortening main-
tenance periods. The ‘complexity’ issue
is the need for all depots and partners
to communicate to work better collec-
tively, but, ultimately, the end-state is to
sustain the readiness of our nation.
The CCAD commander chaired a
panel discussion on the simulation train-
ing environment. The idea is to conduct
training and actual work implementing
virtual reality with artificial intelligence.
For instance, donning safety goggles is a
safety requirement. Imagine in the future
completing maintenance with goggles
that could provide step-by-step instruc-
tions and project aircraft schematics.
Another aspect of Army aviation
modernization is the expectation of our
customers. How they will think and
react to the need for technological up-
grades of helicopters. Customers expect
quality, cost-effectiveness and timely
product delivery.
Other panel discussions were based
on CCAD’s future workforce efforts
towards sustainability. One idea dis-
cussed was customizing a training
program that artisans can refine skills
before entering the work center.
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY ERVEY MARTINEZ
AAAA Donald F. Luce Depot Maintenance Artisan of the Year awardees – (Right) Jose Isabela for 2020
and (Left) Lauro Moya for 2021.
2020 and 2021 Artisans Of The Year AAAA will host the 17th Luther
Two CCAD artisans were awarded G. Jones Army Aviation Depot Forum
the AAAA Donald F. Luce Depot Main- Dec. 6-7, 2022 in Corpus Christi.
tenance Artisan of the Year: Jose Isabela
for 2020 and Lauro Moya for 2021. This Kathleen (Kat) Pettaway-Clarke is lead
national award is presented to people public affairs officer for Corpus Christi
who have made an outstanding individual Army Depot.
contribution to Army aviation in depot
maintenance during the award period
commencing July 1 to June 30. Isabela
authored a new standard implemented
by the Occupational Safety Health Ad-
ministration for hexavalent chromium
reduction in Army aviation platforms.
The process has changed the base of
Army aviation rotary-wing coatings for
the UH-60 Blackhawk, AH-64 Apache,
CH-47 Chinook and OH-58 Kiowa.
Moya distinguished himself as a work
leader and subject matter expert. He en-
sured the safety of personnel, protection
of the environment and aircraft assets
during relocation and release for pro-
duction. He was directly responsible for
the first UH-60L to UH-60V aircraft
coated with the Class N primer ahead
of schedule which was a milestone for
CCAD in the removal of heavy metals
from painting operations.
Looking Forward
A possibility for next year’s event
is to have a Theater Aviation Sup-
port Maintenance Group partnership
meeting as a pre-forum event. Parker
broached the possibility of involving
all end-users in conversations about
modernization as part of the process of
developing the technology needed in
combat operations. “During the forum
we have made connections, established
and reestablished contacts,” Parker said.
“We are moving forward together.”
47 January 31, 2022
From the Field u
Self-Deployment of Unmanned
Aircraft Validates Concept for
Expeditionary Split Operations
By CW4 Dan Brechwald
O n September 3, 2021, Soldiers from F Co., 2nd
Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment (Airborne) (SOAR (Abn)) safely executed
the Army’s first cross-country, self-deployment (SD) of an
MQ-1C Gray Eagle-Extended Range (GE-ER) through
national airspace (NAS).
The flight took less than one day with an optional refueling
stop to test new unit-internal Multi-Domain Operations
(MDO) UAS employment techniques and covered 1,500
nautical miles. It also proved the concept of a new employment
tactic developed by 160th SOAR (Abn) called Expeditionary
Split Operations (ESO). The success of this flight will prove
transformative in Army Aviation history and cement a new
capability for Army UAS.
Validating the Concept
The SD landing was the culmination of a mission that started
four days earlier and after months of planning and preparation.
After navigating a unique mission approval process, coordinating
arduous airspace agreements, and evading Hurricane Ida weather
impacts, 160th SOAR (Abn) proved that the MQ-1C GE-ER
aircraft could safely navigate through NAS.
Using lessons learned from the event and application of ESO,
UAS SDs will quickly become widespread to a variety of exer-
cises and operations. Besides the benefit of providing immediate
use of UAS assets for follow-on operations, ESO saves countless
aircraft tear down and build-up maintenance man hours. This
efficiency conserves maintenance crews and resources and adds a
level of safety to prevent unintended accidents or damage while
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
U.S. ARMY 160TH SOAR (ABN) COURTESY PHOTO
Above photo: The MQ-1C Gray Eagle is a medium-altitude, long-endurance
unmanned aircraft system.
assembling or disassembling the aircraft. It also greatly decreases
material fatigue on components and parts.
IFR Proficiency in NAS
The SD reinforced the need for UAS operator Instrument
Flight Rules (IFR) qualifications and proficiency training.
ESO requires operations in Class A airspace that mandates
IFR compliance or to fly in the NAS using IFR rules while
maintaining Visual Flight Rules (VFR). In addition, Army
Regulation 95-1 dictates “Over-the-top flights: Aircraft will
not be flown above a cloud or fog layer under VFR for more
than 30 minutes unless--(Unmanned) The UAS and crew are
authorized to conduct IFR flight.”
The 160th SOAR (Abn) currently provides advanced
IFR training to improve readiness and proficiency for
future UAS ESO. It is the unit’s intent to train and prepare
Soldiers to operate safely in Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) controlled airspace, International Civilian Aviation
Organization (ICAO) controlled areas, or any worldwide
location controlled by other aviation governing agencies.
All Army MQ-1C GE-ER units hoping to fly in the NAS
will need IFR qualifications to operate and/or safely recover
UAS assets during Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological
Conditions (IIMC) emergencies. IFR training, currency, and
proficiency is essential to conducting SDs/ESO and adds a
significant level of safety.
48 January 31, 2022
ESO
ESO is a unique endeavor developed to achieve specific
UAS objectives in a foreign country against near-peer threats
while conducting Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO). It
also incorporates the need for rapid expeditionary deployment
and survivability requirements within a dynamic MDO
battlespace.
Commanders wanting to use the MQ-1C GE-ER UAS
must anticipate a variety of electronic countermeasures,
integrated air defense systems (IADS), and actual physical
attacks on UAS facilities and aircraft. ESO will help mitigate
the enemy’s ability to destroy critical UAS assets and allow
commanders the full spectrum of UAS capabilities. The SD
validated the ESO elements of dispersion, rapid deployment
and dislocated command and control (C2) techniques.
Additionally, the 160th SOAR (Abn) is developing another
capability which enables the tactical employment of aircraft
capable of multi-intelligence information collection and fires
across diverse environments and contested domains.
ESO in MDO
Applying ESO to MDO is essential to avoid UAS site
consolidation and mitigate the potential near-peer threat.
ESO requires a dislocated structuring of the Beyond Line of
Sight (BLOS) and Line of Sight (LOS) capabilities in or-
der to protect equipment and avoid catastrophic loss of all the
UAS assets at once. Splitting the MQ-1C GE-ER company
provides BLOS redundancy and survivability. Each location
can further divide into one Expeditionary Mission Control
Element (EMCE) and one to two Expeditionary Launch and
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Recovery Elements (ELRE) as needed.
To simulate ESO during the SD, 160th SOAR (Abn) estab-
lished the EMCE at the departure airfield and two ELREs (en
route and terminal) along the route of flight. At the established
time and location, the en route ELRE took control of the air-
craft via LOS and landed it safely for refueling. Once complete,
the en route ELRE launched LOS and passed BLOS control
back to the EMCE for the flight to terminal ELRE.
Although both BLOS and LOS capabilities existed at the
terminal ELRE, the command decided to execute a SAT-
COM landing in order to simulate a realistic scenario of de-
ploying unmanned aircraft to forward locations.
160th SOAR (Abn), with proper airspace authorizations,
now has the potential to support all exercises within the U.S.
with MQ-1C GE-ER assets. This new ability can make ha-
bitual working relationships and synchronization with sup-
ported units far easier and improve overall lethality and in-
teroperability.
ESO highlighted the reduction of maintenance require-
ments and material fatigue while improving overall operation-
al safety. It also solidified the need for well-trained, qualified,
and proficient IFR rated MQ-1C GE-ER operators.
The SD validated the ESO proof of concept as a valuable
technique for rapidly deploying and operating in an MDO
environment while maintaining dispersion, redundancy and
survivability against near-peer threats.
CW4 Dan Brechwald is the executive officer for F Company, 2nd
Battalion, 160th SOAR (Abn) and served as the UAS commander
for the MQ-1C GE-ER self-deployment described in the article.
SPOUSE
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49 January 31, 2022
Historical Perspective u
NSA ’47 and Army Aviation, Part III
By Mark Albertson
Editor’s Note: This is the third article in a
four part series.
T he National Security Act of July
26, 1947 was an effort to refashion
the defense establishment for the
post-World War II era. Per this new
structure, three major departments of
the armed forces appeared: The Navy,
the Army and the Air Force, the latter
having been detached from the Army to
become a separate service. On the same
day President Harry Truman signed
the National Security Act of 1947, he
signed Executive Order 9877, covering
the functions of the Armed Forces.
The seeds for such reorganization of
the American military establishment
were sown during the hearings before
the House Select Committee on Post
War Military Policy, April 24 to May
19, 1944. America was making the jump
from global power to superpower and
the appropriate military posture was
required to service said status of power.
Reorganization
NSA ’47 bore resemblance to a study
put forth by Lieutenant General Joseph
T. McNarney, Deputy Chief of Staff,
U.S. Army, on April 25, 1944.1 The
plan featured the President, Chiefs of
Staff, Secretary of the Armed Forces,
undersecretary for each of the separate
services, Navy, Army and Air Force. It
reflected an acceptance of the reality
of modern war; a reality reinforced
with the advent of the atomic bomb in
August 1945: That the United States
required a sophisticated, professional
armed forces to execute its interests in
the postwar world then developing.
Among the changes inherent in NSA
’47 was the demise of the War Depart-
ment, replaced by the Department of
the Army; while the Secretary of War
became the Secretary of Defense. The
Department of the Army, which in-
cluded the United States Army, “Shall
include land combat and service forces
and such aviation and water transport as
may be organic therein. It shall be or-
ganized, trained and equipped primarily
for combat and sustained combat inci-
dent to operations on land. . . “2
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
WIKIPEDIA COMMONS PHOTO
NSA ‘47 was promulgated during the
administration of Harry S. Truman
The new Department of the Navy
included the Navy and Marine Corps.
“In general, the United States Navy,
within the Navy Department of the
Navy, shall include naval combat and
services forces and such aviation as may
be organic therein. It shall be organized,
trained, and equipped primarily
for prompt and sustained combat
incident to operations at sea. It shall
be responsible for the preparation of
naval forces necessary for the effective
prosecution of war except as otherwise
assigned, and, in accordance with the
integrated joint mobilization plans, for
the peacetime components of the Navy
to meet the needs of war. The Navy
shall develop aircraft, weapons, tactics,
technique, organization and equipment
of naval combat and service elements;
matters of joint concern as to these
functions shall be coordinated between
the Army, Air Force and the Navy.”3
“The United States Air Force is hereby
established under the Department of
the Air Force. The Army Air Forces,
the Air Corps, United States Army, and
the General Headquarters Air Force
50
WIKIPEDIA COMMONS PHOTO
Mr. James V. Forrestal, former Secretary of the
Navy, who became the first Secretary of Defense
within the New Military Establishment following
World War II, September 17,1947 to March 28,
1949.
(Air Force Combat Command), shall
be transferred to the United States Air
Force. In general, the United States
Air Force shall include aviation forces
both combat and service not otherwise
assigned. It shall be organized, trained,
and equipped primarily for prompt
and sustained offensive and defensive
air operations. The Air Force shall be
responsible for the preparation of the
air forces necessary for the effective
prosecution of war except as otherwise
assigned and, in accordance with
integrated joint mobilization plans,
for the expansion of the peacetime
components of the Air Force to meet
the needs of war.”4
“There shall be a Secretary of
Defense, who shall be appointed from
civilian life by the President, by and
with the advice and consent of the
Senate: PROVIDED, That a person
who has within ten years been on active
duty as a commissioned officer in a
Regular component of the armed forces
shall not be eligible for appointment as
Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of
Defense shall be the principal assistant
January 31, 2022
to the President in all matters relating
to national security. ...”5
“a. There is hereby established within
the National Military Establishment
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which
shall consist of the Chief of Staff,
United States Army; Chief of Naval
Operations; Chief of Staff, United
States Air Force; and, Chief of Staff to
the Commander in Chief, if there be
one. The Joint Chiefs of Staff are subject
to the direction of the President and
the Secretary of Defense, as outlined in
NSA ’47.”6
The system of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, within NSA ’47, was supposed
to create a command system by which
service chiefs would represent their
branches in a command structure
answerable to the Secretary of Defense.
However… “the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs did not have the authority
to promote or demote members of
the Joint Staff who, on completion
of their short tours, returned to their
parent services. These factors tended
to perpetuate individual parochialism
in the Joint Chiefs, preventing from
functioning as a military executive in
the manner of a general staff.”7
A decidedly strong condemnation by
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ARMY AVIATION Magazine
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
Dr. Ian Horwood here on what should
be considered a vital cog in the process
of advising the Commander in Chief
(the President) and the Secretary of
Defense on matters vital to the national
security. An analysis that would bear out
the continued turf battles over Roles
and Missions. This was particularly true
between the Navy and the Air Force.
The first Secretary of Defense, James V.
Forrestal, urged a revision of Executive
Order 9877 covering the functions
of the Armed Forces. This resulted in
Executive Order 9950:
“’By virtue of the authority vested
in me by the Constitution and laws
of the United States, as President of
the United States and Commander
in Chief of the Armed Forces of
the United States, it is ordered that
Executive Order No. 9877 of July 26,
1947, prescribing the assignment of
primary functions and responsibilities
to the three armed forces, be, and it is
hereby revoked.’ Harry S. Truman.”8
Next month, Army Aviation’s place in
America’s revamped military structure.
ENDNOTES:
1 – See page 4, “Organization for
National Security Proposed by War
51
51
Department McNarney Plan, 25 April,
1944,” The Department of Defense,
1944-1978, Office of the Secretary of
Defense, Historical Office.
2 – See pages 41 and 42, I. “The
National Security Act of 1947,” The
Department of Defense, 1944-1978.
3 – See page 42, The Department of
Defense, 1944-1978.
4 – See pages 44 and 45,The Department
of Defense, 1944-1978.
5 – See pages 40 and 41,The Department
of Defense, 1944-1978, for complete
description of the Secretary of Defense.
6 – See pages 45 and 46,The Department
of Defense, 1944-1978, for a roster of
the tasks assigned to the Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
7 – See pages 11 and 12, Chapter 1,
“The Doctrinal Background,” Inter-
Service Rivalry and Airpower in the
Vietnam War, by Dr. Ian Horwood.
8 – See page 169, Chapter 7, “Key West
Agreement, 21 April, 1948,” The United
States Air Force: Basic Documents on
Roles and Missions, by Richard I. Wolf.
Mark Albertson is the award-winning
Army Aviation Publications Historian
and a contributing editor to ARMY
AVIATION magazine.
January 31, 2022
January 31, 2022
 A Banner Year for
Wreaths Across America and the
AAAA Scholarship Foundation
By MG Jessica Garfola Wright, U.S. Army Retired

A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who

sponsored a wreath in support of AAAA
Scholarship Foundation Inc.’s Campaign for Wreaths
Across America. We were a HUGE SUCCESS

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA GRAPHIC

because of YOU.

BG (Ret.) Mike Flowers, AAAAS- donated $2,000 directly to the Scholar-

FI Board of Governors president said, ship Foundation.
“MG (Ret.) Jessica Garfola Wright MG (Ret.) Tim Crosby, the current a scholarship donation of over $2,600
spearheaded our campaign for Wreaths president of the Army Aviation As- – what a huge accomplishment for our
Across America this year with out- sociation of America (AAAA) stated, Association and more importantly to
standing results!” Our goal this year “Wreaths Across America partnered remember our Fallen. I would like to
was to sponsor at least 300 wreaths. We with our SFI exceeded their goals as personally say thank you to all involved
exceeded that goal by 78%, with a total well as our expectations. This all-vol- for their initiate, dedication, and com-
of 534 wreaths purchased contributing unteer team recognizes our fallen com- mitment to make this happen.”
$2,670 to the Scholarship Fund. In ad- rades by placing wreaths on the graves The Wreaths Across America (WAA)
dition, an anonymous donor generously at our cemeteries. Your efforts yielded Program began in 1992 and the AAAA
Scholarship Foundation began its part-
nership with WAA in 2019. The goal of
WAA is to Remember the fallen, Hon-
AAAA AIR ASSAULT CHAPTER

or those who serve, and their families,

2022
and Teach future generations about the
value and cost of freedom. Over 2,000
National Cemeteries around the world
simultaneously held ceremonies and
wreath placements at noon on Decem-
ber 18, 2021. The impact was significant
because of your participation.
We have already begun our 2022
Campaign. Please go to https://wreath-

WHERE: Gaylord Springs Golf Links . 18 Springhouse Lane,

Nashville, TN 37214 . http://www.gaylordsprings.com/
SAT APRIL
2nd
sacrossamerica.org/pages/160022 to be a
sponsor. You may choose to send your
wreath to Arlington National Cem-
etery, or you may select from one of the
WHEN: Saturday April 2, 2022; Shotgun start 0730 (morning) and 1330 (afternoon) more than 2,000 cemeteries in partner-
COST: $115 per player, total 144 golfers for morning and 144 golfers for afternoon. Cost covers ship with WAA. For each sponsored
green fees, cart with GPS system, breakfast, lunch, hors d’oeuvres and all standard golf wreath, WAA contributes $5 to the
amenities including range balls, club cleaning and bag handling. Accepting team and AAAA Scholarship Foundation which
individual registration (including handicap), first paid 288 responses accepted on a goes directly to fund scholarships.
first come, first filled basis. Rental clubs available. Paid registration due by Becoming a sponsor ensures we are
March 18, 2022. All cards accepted, except American Express. remembering the past and in turn sup-
porting the future through our AAAA
FORMAT: 4 Person Scramble Scholarship Foundation. Thank you!

REGISTRATION: Visit http://2022aaaagolftournament.ezregister.com to register as an individual MG (Ret.) Jessica Garfola Wright is

golfer, a foursome, or select a sponsorship level a subcommittee member of the AAAA
Scholarship Foundation, Inc. Fundraising
http://2022aaaagolftournament.ezregister.com Committee.

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 52 January 31, 2022

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NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT u AAAA
Thank You to Our Scholarship Fund Donors
AAAA recognizes the generosity of the following individuals, chapters and organizations that have donated to the Scholarship Foundation, Inc. from
December 2020 through December 2021. The list includes donations received for all scholarships, as well as the General Fund which provides funding
to enable the chapter, corporate, heritage and individual matching fund programs as well as national grants. Every penny donated to the Scholarship
Foundation goes directly towards scholarships as a result of the Army Aviation Association of America subsidizing all administrative costs (minus investment
brokerage fees).
7/17th Air Cavalry Association (Ruthless Regina & Robert Bublitz-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. JACS Aircraft Certification Specialists Sabrina L. Powell-IHO Jack Dotterer
Riders)-IHO Betty Cully Austin B. McFadden-IHO Sarah Burns Jack A. James-IHO T/Sgt. Karl P. Kenneth J. Quinlan-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret.
7th Squadron 17th Air Cav Association Darren W. Buss Danckwerth Sr. R2C Inc.
AAAA Air Assault Chapter Harold W. Byars Mary and Arlo D. Janssen Marc L. Rassler
AAAA Arizona Chapter Sandra D. Callanan-IHO Anthonette Bobra Aric and Layne Jensen Gary S. Rast
AAAA Aloha Chapter Harris Bart L. Johnke Edison Rebuck
AAAA Aviation Center Chapter Dee Campobasso Johnson & Johnson Steward E. Remaly
AAAA Badger Chapter Lois and Joseph Cancellare-IHO 190th Carl H. Johnson Kenneth D. Reynolds-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret.
AAAA Bluegrass Chapter Assault Helicopter Company Larry and Linda Jonas-IHO COL Billy Michael Reynolds
AAAA Central Florida Chapter Thomas and Kate Carroll-IHO Anthonette Richburg Jaros Rickmeyer
AAAA Colonial Virginia Chapter Bobra Harris Joseph Joseph-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. Marilyn Rickmeyer
AAAA Connecticut Chapter Combined Federal Campaign Anne Marie Kelly-IHO Donaldson Family David F. Riley
AAAA Cowboy Chapter Becki Chambers-IHO Anthonette Bobra Harris Richard D. Kenyon Roberson Giving Fund
AAAA Delaware Valley Chapter Cirone Friedberg LLP-IHO Anthonette Bobra James F. Krueger Robertson Fuel Systems
AAAA Flint Hills Chapter Harris Daniel A. Lambarena Gil H. Robertson-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret.
AAAA Griffin Chapter Richard Clemens-IHO Susan Yellen Jacqueline and Jeffrey Langhout-IHO MG S. Harry Robertson
AAAA High Desert Chapter Kevin S. Cochie (Ret.) Tim Crosby Robert E. Ross
AAAA Idaho Snake River Chapter Randall and Sharon Cochran James Leary Jay Rush
AAAA Iron Mike Chapter Thomas Cole-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. William Leary-IHO LTC Michael McMahon Henry C. Ruth, III Ret.
AAAA Johnny O Cluster Chapter Brett D. Criqui James M. Lee Alex and Eli Ryan-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret.
AAAA Keystone Chapter John M. Curran Leidos, Inc. S3 Inc-System Studies and Simulation, Inc.
AAAA Lindbergh Chapter Walter L. Davis-IHO Anthonette Bobra Harris Abby Letts-IHO Anthonette Bobra Harris Judy and Charles Scheibly-IHO COL Joseph
AAAA Minuteman Chapter Walter L. Davis-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. Lockheed Martin Hoechrel
AAAA Mount Rainier Chapter Digiflight, Inc. William David Loftin Jeff J. Schloesser-IHO Anthonette Bobra Harris
AAAA North Star Chapter Jan S. Drabczuk-IHO Anthonette Bobra Harris Brent Logan Bart L. Schmidt
AAAA North Texas Chapter Patrick M. Dzialek Jerry J. Luccarella Nancy Shaffer-End-IHO 1LT Kathryn Bailey
AAAA Old Tucson Chapter Doug E. Ehrle Timothy A. Lunger Shashy Family Charitable Fund
AAAA Oregon Trail Chapter ELEIT Technology Inc. M1 Support Services Mary and William Shelt-IHO Families of
AAAA Rio Grande Chapter Joseph M. Ernest-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. AAAA MacArthur Chapter the Fallen
AAAA Southern California Chapter Fidelity Charitable Latrisha A. Maddox Susan and E. J. Sinclair-IHO Anthonette
AAAA Tennessee Valley Chapter Michael C. Flowers-IHO COL Harry Townsend Daniel T. Madish Bobra Harris
AAAA Thunder Mountain Chapter Ryan H. Forshee Elisabeth and Hans Mansson-IHO Susan and E. J. Sinclair-IHO CW5 Lee
AAAA Thunderbird Chapter Jeffrey and Vanessa Fowler Anthonette Bobra Harris Tutin, Ret.
AAAA Voodoo Chapter Michael E. Freeman-IHO Harry Townsend Melinda Marinello-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. Susan and E.J. Sinclair-IHO Susan Yellen
AAAA Washington-Potomac Chapter Brian Gagliano Tommy L. Marks Peter H. Smart
AAAA Wright Brothers Chapter Paul and Jenny Gale Charles and Joyce Marotta-IHO Morgan Brian T. Smith
AAAA Zia Chapter Lonnie Germainre-IHO Anthonette Bobra Rae Kurowsky Mark and Judy Smith
Sidney W.Achee-IHO “The Originals” Cub Club Harris Karen M. Martell-IHO SSG Darryl D. Booker Teresa C. Snyder-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret.
Molly Alger and Jay Dirnberger Leslie H. Gilbert-IHO “The Originals” Cub Club Crystal Martinez Evelyn A. Soucek-IHO Standley Fishfader
Amazon Smile AAAA Gold Standard Chapter Theodore E. Mathison Evelyn A. Soucek-IHO Peter B. Teets
Cody Anfinson Ellis & Rachel Golson-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. Stephen T. Mauro-IHO COL Paul Kelly Monica T. Southerland
Laura and Jonathan Arena-IHO Anthonette Jane and Thomas Graft Randy McCormick John G. Speckman
Bobra Harris Mark W. Grapin-IHO COL Harry Townsend Dale T. McDonough Scott Springer-IHO Anthonette Bobra Harris
Dale Armstrong-IHO 190th Assault Alexander S. Guida-IHO Maxwell H. Guida Jeremiah F. McNamara Cynthia M. Trujillo-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret.
Helicopter Company Spencer C. Guida and Andrea Pappano-IHO MD Helicopters Wendy C. Turgeon-IHO Anthonette Bobra Harris
Cribbins Speakers Gift Maxwell Harris Guida Dirk A. Megchelse, Sr. Teresa Tutin-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret.
Mike and Daphne Arthur Gulfstream Aerospace LTC Jerry P. Mellick, Ret. VA Peninsula Chapter of 100 Black Men Inc.
Joe Ausfahl John Gustitis-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. Michael E. Moody-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. William H. Van Alystyne-IHO Anthonette
Kenneth D. Auten Kristen Gustitis-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. Dora and Donald Moore-IHO CW5 Lee Bobra Harris
Axient/QuantiTech, Inc. H2L Solutions, Inc. Tutin, Ret. Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
Mark Baranowsky David R. Haag-IHO CSM Isaac B. Sheffield Rene & Ronald Moring-IHO CW5 LeeTutin,Ret. Margaret Wilson-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret.
Baretta’s Optlics Division-IHO Susan Yellen Brian Haley MSB Analytics, Inc. William D. Wolfinger
Elisabetha Baugh-IHO COL Harry Townsend Robert G. Hansen Stephen Mundt-IHO Susan Yellen Wreaths Across America
Elisabetha Baugh-IHO COL Sidney Achee Joanne Hansrote-IHO Anthonette Bobra Harris Donald T. Munsch, Munsch & Co. Michelle F. Yarborough
Margaret and Donald Beatty Alex Harris Aeromechanics Michelle Yarborough-IHO Anthonette Bobra
Brett Beavers-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. William R. Harris, Jr. Navigator Development Group, Inc. Harris
Becker’s Air Powered Sweeping, Inc. Thomas M. Harrison-IHO Dr. Harry S. Robertson Network for Good Michelle Yarborough-IHO Becky Pillsbury
Bell Textron Inc. Thomas M. Harrison Cathy C. Newsom-IHO Alfred J. Cargen MichelleYarborough-IHO COL HarryTownsend
Michael L. Bell-IHO Harry Townsend Thomas M. Harrison-IHO Anthonette Bobra Northrup Grumman Systems Corp Michelle Yarborough-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret.
Benevity Harris James Olofsson Yulista Holding, LLC
Joseph and Helen Bergantz Thomas Harrison-IHO Susan Yellen Jane Osborne-IHO Anthonette Bobra Harris The Zieff Family Fund Inc.-IHO Anthonette
Joanne and Chris Blake Kellie Hauenstein-IHO Maxwell Harris Guida Ostovich Enterprises Inc. Bobra Harris
Doug Bly-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. Lynne Heath Army Otter Caribou Association IHO – In Honor Of
The Boeing Company Ralph C. Hedden The OV-1 Mohawk Association
Mr. & Mrs. Patrick T. Bolden-IHO CW5 Lee James and Joyce Hesson Ellen Pappano-IHO Maxwell Harris Guida For more information about the Foundation
Tutin, Ret. James and Joyce Hesson-IHO HarryTownsend Margaret Pappano-IHO Maxwell Harris Guida or to make a contribution, go online to
John S. Bolton-IHO CSM Isaac B. Sheffield William F. Hipple-IHO Families of the Fallen William F. Parker-IHO Susan Yellen www.quad-a.org/scholarship; contributions
Louis A. Bonham-IHO COL Harry Townsend David Hoffman Piasecki Foundation can also be mailed to AAAA Scholarship
Thomas K. Brede-IHO Families of the Fallen Michael L. Hutton Linda and Danney Pickard Foundation, Inc., 593 Main Street, Monroe,
Keirn C. Brown, Jr. James E. Hyers James H. Pillsbury CT 06468-2806.
Matthew L. Brown-IHO CW5 Lee Tutin, Ret. Darrin P. Jackson Pinnacle Solutions

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 57 January 31, 2022

 AAAA u NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT
AAAA Chapter Affairs
I appreciate the support from MAJ Jesse Belk, the Volunteer Chapter President for authoring and sharing this information to our
membership.
The Volunteer Chapter
T he AAAA Volunteer
Chapter is primarily
composed of current and
former members of the
TN ARNG.
Members are from the 1-230th As-
sault Helicopter Battalion (AHB) for-
merly known as 1-230th Air Cavalry
Squadron and the 4th Squadron 278th
Armored Cavalry Regiment. The chap-
ter also consists of current and former
members of 1-107th Airfield Opera-
tions Battalion (AOB). The 1-230th and
its subordinate units are split across the
state of TN at 3 supporting Army Avi-
ation Support Facilities. AASF # 1 in
Nashville, AASF #2 in Louisville, and
AASF # 3 in Jackson.
Unit Locations
AASF #1 is in Nashville, TN at
the international airport (BNA). The
facility which hosts the BN HQ, is
commanded by LTC Jeff Baird who
is also the AASF Commander. He is
supported by CSM Gary Bailey. The
state Aviation Office is also co-located
in Nashville with COL Jay Deason, as
the State Aviation Officer, and LTC
Pat Wade as his deputy. AASF # 1
supports A Co 1-230th AHB, Co B (-)
2-151st S&S, and 2-641st AV with the
C-12 OSA, as well as portions of the
HHC, FSC, and aviation maintenance
companies assigned to 1-230th AHB.
AASF #2 is in Louisville, TN at the
McGhee Tyson airport, also known as
the Knoxville airport (TYS). The Facili-
ty Commander is CPT Hulon Holmes,
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
By LTC (Ret.) Jan Drabczuk
2021 Volunteer Chapter Annual Fallen Aviator Car Show Staff
and the Operations officer is CPT
Phillip Webster. The facility primarily
supports the MEDEVAC companies
assigned to the TNARNG, and always
is stand by ready to support missions
in the Great Smoky Mountains Na-
tional Park, where they conduct about
2 rescues per month during the Spring,
Summer, and Fall months.
AASF # 3 is in Jackson, TN at the
McKellar-Sipes regional airport (MKL).
The Facility Commander is LTC Mark
Jordan, who is also the Commander of
1-107th Airfield Operations Battalion.
The Facility Operations officer is CPT
Cody Baker. This facility supports B Co
1-230th and several detachments as-
signed to 1-230th AHB.
1-107th AOB is in Tullahoma, TN
with the 30th Troop Command who is
the peacetime Brigade headquarters for
all the TNARNG aviation units. They
routinely set up air traffic control at
the Tullahoma airport (THA), as well
as several other civilian airfields in the
middle TN region.
Annual Fallen Aviator Car
Show
The Volunteer Chapter’s premier fund-
raising event is the Annual Fallen Aviator
Car Show. This event takes place the last
Saturday in September. The past several
years this event has attracted thousands
58
CHAPTER COURTESY PHOTO
of guests, with a silent auction, live mu-
sic, food trucks, blood drive, helicopter
rides by a civilian tour flight company,
and mini airshow from several local ex-
hibition pilots and their generally piston
powered aircraft. This event was the key
fundraiser for topping off the last of the 5
scholarships in 2018 at the $1000.00 per-
petual level, and the chapter plans to start
moving each of the 5 scholarships to the
$2000.00 level based on future earnings.
Chapter Activities
The chapter continues to host a
membership drive during 1-230th
AHBs Annual training period with a
cookout and raffle. This event normally
draws around 300 to 400 of the
battalions 600 Soldiers. It is a highly
anticipated event each year.
The chapter has an active awards
program, awarding approximately 5
Order of Saint Michael awards each
year, and the occasional Order of Our
Lady of Loreto awards.
Feel free to contact me if you need
help for your Chapter, Executive Board
support, would like your Chapter fea-
tured in the AAAA magazine or to ob-
tain clarification of National procedures.
LTC (Ret.) Jan S. Drabczuk
AAAA VP for Chapter Affairs
jan.drabczuk@quad-a.org.
January 31, 2022
 NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT u AAAA
Order of St. Michael Inductees
Aviation Center Chapter Legion Post 1776, Apple Valley, MN. Commander, COL Gregory D. Fix, during an
Adamson was recognized for 36 years of Aug. 7, 2021 ceremony at VFW Post 10406
service to Army Aviation flying AH-1, AH-64, in Cochrane, WI. Schiffli was recognized for
CH-47, OH-58, UH-1 and UH-60 aircraft with 34 years of service with more than 1,800 total
an accumulated total of over 5,500 hours, flight hours and selfless service in the medical
including 1,700 combat flight hours. evacuation community (C/2-211 GSAB)
utilizing all his skills in signal, unmanned
CHAPTER PHOTO BY LINDA GENTZYEL

aircraft systems and as a UH-60A/L/M pilot.

Tennessee Valley Chapter

CHAPTER PHOTO BY MAJ GRANDON ORTMANN

Ms. Shay Collins, Sikorsky Customer
Awards Manager, is inducted as a Knight
of the Honorable Order of St. Michael, by
chapter Sr. VP, COL (Ret.) Marcus Gengler
(right) and Treasurer, CW3 (Ret.) Michael

CHAPTER PHOTO BY SHERRY L. DORNER

Monaghan, during a Dec. 1, 2021 ceremony CW5 David M. O’Brien is inducted into
at Ft. Rucker, AL. Collins was recognized for the Silver Honorable Order of St. Michael by
her 30 years of service to the Fort Rucker Chapter President and 34th Expeditionary
community supporting chains of command, Combat Aviation Brigade Commander, COL
Soldier events and representing Sikorsky in Gregory D. Fix, during a Nov. 29, 2021
all sponsored endeavors. The Aviation Com- ceremony at the Army Aviation Support COL Kevin S. Chaney, outgoing Project
munity recognizes her as managing a “World Facility (AASF) #1, Saint Paul, MN. O’Brien Manager, Aircraft Survivability Equipment, is
Class” awards program for customers flying was recognized for his 38 years of Army inducted into the Silver Honorable Order of
Sikorsky helicopters. Aviation service, including more than 4,000 St. Michael by chapter president, Mr. Gary
flight hours and his service as the 34th ECAB Nenninger (right) and Mr. Mark Kitz, Program
North Star Chapter TACOPS, AMSO and Standardization Pilot Executive Officer Intelligence, Electronic
especially his contributions to the Echelons Warfare, and Sensors during a Nov. 30,
Above Brigade Airspace Course. 2021 change of charter ceremony at the
Bob Jones Auditorium, Redstone Arsenal, AL.
Chaney was recognized for his work during
his previous tenure as Product Manager,
Infrared Countermeasures and then PM
ASE. Chaney next assumes the charter for
CHAPTER PHOTOS BY LTC (R) JEREMY DEGIER

the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft

project office at Redstone Arsenal.
CHAPTER PHOTO BY DEBRA TROYER

Want to change
your AAAA
CW5 Paul T. Adamson is inducted into Chapter Affiliation ?
the Silver Honorable Order of St. Michael No Problem !
by LTC (Ret.) Michael R. Barker (left), former
commander of B/2-135 GSAB, during an
CW4 Stephen S. Schiffli is inducted into
the Silver Honorable Order of St. Michael
Call 203-268-2450
Oct. 1, 2021 ceremony at the American by Chapter President and 34th ECAB

Chapter News
Central Florida Chapter Holiday
Fundraiser
Members of the AAAA Central FL Chapter supported
the Annual Camaraderie Foundation Holiday Party
that was held at Jan and Gail Drabczuk’s home on
5 Dec 2021. The benefit raised $32K to support
military members and their families. Pictured (l to
CHAPTER COURTESY PHOTO

r) are: Mark Russell, Jan Drabczuk, Mike Motko,

Dan Gallagher, Kevin Vizzarri, Steve Beltson, Mike
Garretson, John Ferrell, and Jim Blake.

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 59 January 31, 2022

 AAAA u NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT

AAAA Membership Update By CW4 Becki Chambers

The Membership Corner

T here’s a misconception that membership in AAAA is
limited to only Army pilots and crew chiefs.

That could not be further from the
truth. Membership in AAAA is open to
ANYONE who has an interest in Army
Aviation. One such member is SFC
Cody Bernard.
Cody was born and raised in Los An-
geles, California. Cody’s father and his
of Samuel Sharpe. The Order of Samuel
Sharpe recognizes members of the Ord-
nance Corp who have demonstrated in-
tegrity, moral character, and professional
competence over a sustained period,
similar to the Order of Saint Michael
for Aviation. When Cody was told that

BERNARD PERSONAL PHOTO

side of the family had both an Army and
Air Force background dating all the way
back to WWII. His father finished his
service after Cody was born so he was not
really an “Army brat” that moved around
or grew up on bases, but the foundations
were there. Cody always had an interest
in giving back to a bigger picture whether
that be his community or country. He was
torn between law enforcement (LAPD)
and the Army. The attacks on 9/11 made
the choice that much clearer for him to
join the Army. He was in 9th grade when
the towers were hit.
Cody has been serving a little over 15
years and has been privileged to remain
under the Special Operations umbrella
for the entirety of his career. He has
12 combat tours, with numerous joint
training events and TDYs in that span.
Cody has held positions from Ammuni-
tion Specialist, Ammunition Sergeant,
Section Chief, Task Force Ammunition
NCOIC, and in his current position
serves as the Regimental Ammunition
NCOIC for the 160th Special Opera-
tions Aviation Regiment (ABN). He is
also currently the primary Equal Op-
portunity Leader for his company.
I saw a post on LinkedIn celebrat-
ing SFC Bernard receiving the Order
he was being recommended for it by
his OIC, he was humbled knowing he
was being inducted into a list of people
that he looked up to. Prior to receiving
the award, Cody never thought anyone
would take the time to put in the hard
work to start the process.
Cody is always looking for ways to
give back to his formation. Once he
graduated the SHARP course and
earned his certification as a victim ad-
vocate, he was able to assist Soldiers
and Family Members who fell victims
to sexual assault and sexual harassment.
At the end of the day, the goal is to take
care of people. Cody treats his additional
duties the same way he does his primary
MOS and always gives 100%. The duty
was a double edged sword though. Cody
says that while it’s rewarding helping
someone, understanding why he is help-
ing them in the first place can weigh on
his emotions. “Each case is different, and
everybody’s trauma is unique, so it can
sometimes be hard because you always
feel like you could have done more for
the person. I learned a lot about myself
in my time of being a victim advocate.”
Cody and his wife Amanda have been
married for 13 years. They are dog par-
ents to Khaleesi, a 5-year-old beagle. He
SFC Cody Bernard
would like to thank Carlos Rodriguez,
Christopher Ponce Deleon, and Ken
Baldon. He said, “It takes a village, but
these 3 definitely helped me become the
Soldier/man I am today.”
When asked why he feels it’s impor-
tant to belong to a professional organi-
zation like AAAA he said, “Similar to
having additional duties, I believe you
should always try and give back when
possible. Whether it’s helping set up an
event for a couple of hours on a day off or
donating money to a local chapter. Un-
til recently I was not aware I could join
being a non-Aviator. I am also currently
a member of the Night Stalker Associa-
tion and Ordnance Corp Association.”
If you have a Soldier who you think
should be highlighted in this column,
please reach out to me at beckichambers@
quad-a.org.
CW4 Becki Chambers
AAAA Vice President for Membership

New Colonial Virginia Chapter Rio Grande Chapter PFC Koben R. Melton Bruce Waterman 2LT Nam N. Cao
AAAA Life CW5 Anthony Rinderer, Ret. CW5 Robert A. McNeal, Ret. MAJ David M. Shanahan Aviation Center Chapter WO1 Jeremiah G. Clift
Follow Me Chapter Tarheel Chapter Aloha Chapter WO1 Robert B. Adams WO1 Dean A. Cole
Members CPT Robert Siebenmorgan CPL Stephen Denty SFC Michael Allar MAJ Brian Alliston CW2 Bryan Crane
Air Assault Chapter Idaho Snake River Chapter Voodoo Chapter CW2 Christopher Burgess WO1 Jasper R. Andoy WO1 Adam M. Crews
MAJ David M. Shanahan 1LT Paul Mahlow, Ret. LTC Kevin Middleton Arizona Chapter 2LT Alyssa A. Aponte WO1 George L. Cuevas
Aviation Center Chapter Keystone Chapter Yellowhammer Chapter PV2 Matthew R. Ballard Patrick Azan WO1 Mitchell B. Daniels
CW2 Nicholas A. Davis CW3 Chris Krause CW4 Joshua Roberts Jeffrey Bowman WO1 Jacob Barton WO1 Kyle A. Davidson
CW3 John H. Bentley, Ret. North Country Chapter BG Lonnie Branum CW3 Mark Beck CW2 Nicholas A. Davis
Cedar Rapids Chapter CW3 Lance M. Leduc New AAAA Raymond Gene Fritz 2LT Juan Carlos. Belmonte WO1 Caleb L. DeNoon
CW4 Shane M. Lutgen
Central Florida Chapter
North Star Chapter Members Patrick McGarry CPT Anthony R. Bonilla WO1 Christopher Docchio
CW4 Aaron Caswell Air Assault Chapter PFC Alexis S. Nischwitz WO1 Christian A. Boswell WO1 Sean C. Doval
MAJ Pat Unger CW3 Pat Swenson SSG Ryan Thompson WO1 Logan N. Britton CW2 Garrett C. Dunlap
SFC Grant Marzolf

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 60 January 31, 2022

NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT u

New AAAA Black Knights Chapter Rodney Snyder Magnolia Chapter

AAAA
Susan Dunbar Yellowhammer Chapter
Members CDT Kyle Swindler Charlie D. Tier PFC Ronald P. Jurney Danielle Dutcher CW4 Joshua Roberts
Continued CDT Artem Zhelyabin Frank P. Travaglini LTC Raleigh Murphy Jennifer Evans Zia Chapter
Bluegrass Chapter Desert Oasis Chapter COL Chester Shermer Miss Allison Freedman 1LT Maurice Geldert
2LT Rachel M. Eby PV2 Jacob M. Grummer SFC Joshua Ramey Minuteman Chapter Jeffery Gregory PV2 Daniel D. Stokely
WO1 David L. Faughn Seth Meadows Empire Chapter Jay O’Connell Chris Hodges No Chapter Affiliation
WO1 Brandon W. Fernald SPC Sebastian Melgar SGT Caleb Bailey Michele Palmer SGM Brooke Houppert Chris Benson
WO1 Sarah A. Feuerborn Elise Weiler SGT Edward Belanger Desmond Walsh Tim Kinch Elline Binner
CW2 Joey R. Fontanez Cedar Rapids Chapter SPC Alexis Carson Mohawk Chapter Tom LaBerenz David Bosworth
1LT John H. Fox CW4 Shane M. Lutgen WO1 Michael Cummings PV2 Wenhua Zhao Roman Leone Jen Colton
WO1 Michael L. Franklin Central Florida Chapter SFC Kevin Czachorowski Morning Calm Chapter Rich Mintz SSG Richard Craven
PFC Drake Allenlee Fugate Carol Golly SGT Tyler De Gone CPT Basile Glodji Meghan Murphy-Ruddick Ed Dixon
2LT Amanda G. Garcia CDR Nick Hackard, Ret. CW4 Brian Dengler SFC Atsuyoshi Shiroma Saj Niazi CW3 Steven Farner, Ret.
CPT R. John P. Gingerich Arash Jahangir 1SG Hal Fellows, Ret. Mount Rainier Chapter Joshua Nichols Taylor Flores
Eugene Goolsby SFC Kenneth Johnson CW2 Justin Fosnaugh Chase Buckingham Aaron Oskian CW2 Andrew Jerry Garcia
2LT Garrett M. Graham Joel Jolley Charles Jones LTC Benjamin Gering Tom Ray William Gorlach
WO1 James M. Graydon Debbie Kravchuk Matt Loomis John Hammond Christopher Rossi Shane Hastings
WO1 Albert Hood Deborah Lavin Paige Lyndaker CW3 Travis Heckelsberg Austin Simmons Marcus Heap
WO1 Jarred T. Hoppe PFC Kyle R. Murphy SSG Grant Lyons 1LT Jack Johnston, Ret. Jason A. Stacy Miss Carla Heberle Rivas
WO1 Daniel T. Houston PFC Brittney C.Pressler PFC Jillian T. Menzie WO1 Tristian Knutson Jarrod Weeks Taylor Holleman
WO1 Josh Johnson Brett Ulander Jeffrey Pieper LTC Steven Lodwig LCpl Michael Williams Church Hutton
Scotty Johnson MAJ Pat Unger SGT Brian Ruscio PVT Dimitri A. Ognibene Thunderbird Chapter David Ingram
WO1 Steele A. Johnson Colonial Virginia Chapter SGT Samuel Sacco Nozomu Saito Ron Hartleroad Daniela Jones
2LT Tom J. Kazmierczak CW3 Alberto Borrero SFC Steven Salter WO1 Tamieka Vassell Utah Chapter Kara Ktamer
1LT Richard E. Kearns Thomas Bottini Michael Sick John Womack Scott Barber Mark Long
WO1 Theodore D. Keniston PFC Owen H. Doran SSG Timothy David Strong Chiharu Yuguchi CW2 Frederick Bittner Corrie Machesky
WO1 Chan Pyo Kim CPT Stephanie Eldridge WO1 Brian Tenace Narragansett Bay Chapter Blaine Edwards John H. Mahan
CW3 Nathan J. Koch CW5 Anthony Rinderer, Ret. SFC Todd Toland PFC Francisco Santos-Rivera PFC Matthew D. Mcdougal Valerie Mahan
2LT Oliver T. Laflamme Troy Robinson SPC Larissa VanDetta North Texas Chapter PVT Ammon Milton LTC Daniel McAuliffe
CW2 Daniel P. Leiner Allen Walker CW2 Fredric Wilder PV2 Marisela S. Chavez LTC Gordon Pedersen Kevin Mikes
WO1 Kyle E. Loveless PVT Adam Young Flint Hills Chapter Thomas Chiang Volunteer Chapter Patrick Moss
2LT Emily Maier-Costanza Connecticut Chapter PV2 Julianna L. Hare WO1 Charles W. Cox SGT Michael Robinson, Ret. Caitlyn Oliver
2LT Ellie M. Manderfeld Roger Briggs CPT Malachi Jamison Jennifer Johnson Voodoo Chapter Edward Popek
WO1 Eric V. Manuylo Ben W. Lewellyn Follow Me Chapter SPC Mackenzie J. Santschi PFC Nicholas Michael Davis 1LT Brian Ramsey, Ret.
2LT Brian J. Matus Jackie Lovett CPT Robert Siebenmorgan Old Tucson Chapter PV2 William Jakobe Foster MAJ Juan A. Rodriguez
2LT Mat L. McClintock Arthur Maggiola Gold Standard Chapter COL Thomas Davis LTC Kevin Middleton LTC David Roman
WO1 Bryan S. McCoy SPC Michael P. Nizzardo Jr PFC Jose Pena Oregon Trail Chapter Washington-Potomac Will Roper
CW2 Kyle D. McKenna Nicole Pena SSG Shane Polidoro SPC Ryan A. Cooper Chapter Dev Saini
WO1 Hailey E. McKneely Leon M. Silva Great Lakes Chapter SPC Cameron S. Dixon Paul Beard Michael Saxton
2LT Siobhan J. Murphy SPC Ethan Michael Smith PVT Drew R. Malotke SPC Brandon M. Smith SPC Jorge LBrown-Ojeda Christopher Sayler
2LT Zachary T. Nodden Jake Stearns Greater Atlanta Chapter SPC Trevor J. Zanella CW3 Melvin Canon, Ret. MAJ Theodore Schulze, Ret.
WO1 Bradley A. Obenland Lincoln Thompson Kaci Barker Phantom Corps Chapter Muge Cody Anthony Scott
Patrick C. O’Brien Bob Valenti CW5 Christopher McGorrian David Coody CW5 Patrick Curran Marvin Smith
WO1 Roger A. Olivea Vic Venettozzi PFC Jacob William Neece SPC Dylan Scott Isabell Jim Davis Ryan Spilchen
2LT Charles W. OTuel CW3 Raymond Wagner PV2 Anthony Rodriguez Pikes Peak Chapter Mark Fagin LTC Nicholas A. Steele
CW2 Benjamin T. Paddock PFC Liam Ignatius Weir Adam Taylor WO1 Jeff Bailley Gerard Fasano Mark Urban
WO1 Joseph C. Payne John Wilbur Green Mountain Boys Chapter Capt. William DuBose Katie Garagozzo Jill Vacek
WO1 Christopher J. Perry Corpus Christi Chapter CW4 John Labbe CW3 Tim Hall Joe Gibbs CW4 Joseph A. Weekly
WO1 Scott N. Perry Arturo Barrera CW4 Philip Small MAJ Timothy Light Nathan Iseminger Thomas Weidley
CW3 Brandon Pinero CPO Andy Conner, Ret. High Desert Chapter 1LT Christopher Towne Grant Kim Lane Wiggers
2LT Charnelle C. Pinson A1C Nathan Thomas Darst SFC James Berry MAJ Nicholas Tucker Cyriel Kronenburg North Country Chapter
WO1 Bradley A. Polotto Joe Dominguez WO1 Brandon Elliott Ragin’ Cajun Chapter Joseph Lea SPC Ashton Ledee
1LT Erik J. Rajunas John LaRue Idaho Snake River Chapter PFC Hugo Garcia-Herrera Rudy Miller CW3 Lance M. Leduc
2LT Bryce W. Richey Travis W. Lindley 1LT Paul Mahlow, Ret. Rio Grande Chapter Jimmy Mott SFC Jonathan Stormm
2LT Camrron W. Roth Israel Ortega Iron Mike Chapter CW5 Robert McNeal, Ret. Mitchell Plonski North Star Chapter
WO1 Eric A. Saalmann Wesley Thomas COL John M. Morgan, Ret. SGT Victoria Parker Christian Ramsey CW4 Aaron Caswell
WO1 Bryan A. Salazar Cowboy Chapter Jack H. Dibrell/Alamo Chapter PFC Luis Armando Rey,III Mark Shepard 2LT John Chrisfield
WO1 Thomas B. Simmons CW2 Lauren Gurney CW4 Jeff Myers Savannah Chapter CPT Alan Vanier Jim Funk
WO1 Wyatt L. Smith Delaware Valley Chapter COL Robert Worley, Ret. MAJ Beau Carroll Michael Weigand 2LT Samuel Kneen
WO1 Donald L. St. Martin Kate Anthony Jimmy Doolittle Chapter MAJ Joel Castro Nicole Wheeler LTC Kyle Liudahl
WO1 Ian J. Theibert Zach Baron PVT Ryan J. Drayton CAPT Gary Knight, Ret. Derek M. Woods SFC Todd Lofquist
WO1 Lucas E. Thompson John J. Caldwell PFC Joshua Jerreld MAJ Robert H Lee Shane Woodson Joseph Mishler
WO1 David A. Vendetti Jody Cello PVT Sydney A. Mcelhany Southern California Chapter Zane Woodson CW2 Jonah Parrott
WO1 Skyler T.K. Vickery Jim H. Curren Keystone Chapter PV2 Nathan C. Dorsey Wright Brothers Chapter MAJ Amanda Waldusky
WO1 Clayton R. Wells Andrew Daris Michelle Collier Dylan Marquess PVT Jacob R. Sauer
PFC Logan Wert PV2 Jared M. Devlin John Fraser PV2 Dylan M. Thompson
WO1 Dillon A. Wood Helen Donaldson Rob Gordon Joshua Woods
WO1 Eric M. Wright Kenny Eland CW3 Chris Krause WO1 Conrad F. Zimmer UPCOMING EVENTS
WO1 Christopher Yarworth Lee Falgoust SSG Logan Williams Tarheel Chapter
Badger Chapter Bryan Grasso Land of Lincoln Chapter Sarah Clark
PV2 Hector Raul Castro CPL Stephen Denty
MARCH 2022
PFC Sean W. Donaghy Steven R. Gudknecht
1LT Samuel Eide Edward A. Irizarry 1LT David L. Coppin CW3 Joseph Elmore 7-10 - HAI Heli-Expo 2022, Dallas TX
Conor Seal Stephen Kuhns Lindbergh Chapter CW2 David Samuels 17-19 - 33rd Annual International Women in
Battle Born Chapter Robert Leblanc Eli Ratcliff Tennessee Valley Chapter Aviation Conference, Nashville TN
PFC Aaron M. Munguia Jean M. Malloy Lonestar Chapter Joshua Bass APRIL 2022
SSG Race Shelton Daniel Manoukian PFC Joshua Patrick Sant Joanne Blatchley 3-5 - AAAA Army Aviation Mission Solutions
Big Sky Chapter George McDowell MacArthur Chapter Jacob Bussey Summit, Nashville, TN
MAJ Robert Allinson Maxwell McDowell SPC Cisco E. Alers Nastacia Chapman 12 - Aviation Branch 37th Anniversary
SPC Carrie L. Schwandt John P. McMahon Leo Fridley Sheila Cummings
Rick Nace Robert Hudson Christi Dolbeer 23 - U.S. Army Reserve 114th Anniversary
Peter Yegen

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 61 January 31, 2022

 AAAA u NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT
AAAA Family Forum
Army Aviation Hall of Fame “Oscar Night”
Celebrates Spouses, Too
D ue to COVID, the
annual Army Aviation
Hall of Fame induction
ceremonies for 2020 and
2021 were postponed.
However, we were able to witness in-
ducting six new members at the 2021
Joseph P. Cribbins Training, Equipping
and Sustainment Symposium in Hunts-
ville this past November, and it was in-
deed a very special “Oscar Night” for
Army Aviation. The honorees were truly
inspiring, while at the same time very
humble, but equally inspiring for me
was being able to spend time with some
of their wives and with one who was so
gracious to share her thoughts about the
experience with me and our readers.
Tina Englen explained that her
parents, mother-in-law, four children
(31,28,23, and 21), and new son-in-
law were able to share in an “absolutely
positive experience for their family. In a
very odd way, it made us feel proud of
what we as a family had accomplished.”
She also shared that “During my
husband’s military career, and as a family
member you don’t really stop to think
about all that was sacrificed. You just do
what needs to be done.” For her, seeing
it all come together was very special,
and it started many conversations while
sharing memories. There were some
that she had forgotten and some that
she never even knew about.
CW5 (Ret.) Englen and Tina have
been married for 34 years. He retired
two years ago having served in the
military for all those years. Her role
as the “continuous parenting figure
during deployments was to make sure
that whatever needed to be taken care
of here was taken care of for him to do
what he needed to do and return. When
he was home, sometimes his long work
hours made it hard to take care of
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
By Judy Konitzer
CW5 Ret. Englen and his entire family celebrated his induction into the Army Aviation Hall of fame.
some things, and so I tried very hard
to lessen the load.” She remembered a
phone conversation with him one time
asking “Is all, okay? And her saying, of
course!” At that time, she was sitting
in an inch of water because of a broken
washing machine. I had to laugh when
she told me this as I have been there
and checked that block with a similar
scenario, and I know that many military
spouses can readily identify with this or
something comparable and be able to
laugh about it years later too.
I felt her pain, which I feel so many of
us too have experienced “that it is very
important that no matter how upset the
kids were when Dad was not there at an
event etc.…. never to let them see him
as the “bad guy.” She “always made Dad
out to be “The Soldier,” and we (were)
and still are proud of him always!”
Tina’s advice for new spouses was to
value each moment. “The deployments
with just me and the kids made
memories that if he had been home,
may not have happened. One was
changing a starter on my 16-year-old
son’s truck which was priceless!”
She also shared words of encourage-
ment with this wise old saying, “This too
62
ENGLEN PERSONAL PHOTO
shall pass and in the military nothing is
forever.” Tina felt that it was important
to “Give yourself smaller milestones and
embrace the accomplishment of reach-
ing each of those milestones like break-
ing down a year-long deployment or a
two-year station for a school or training
and not getting so overwhelmed and
wrapped around little details that don’t
matter was what was really important.”
Lastly, Tina felt that as the head of
the household during deployments,
schools, or long duty “you are the one
who is most important, so you need to
take care of yourself, and you need to
take time together with your family. It
also helps to find a support group like
an FRG, church, or your neighbors.”
We are genuinely proud of our
Soldiers who have been awarded their
induction into the Army Aviation Hall
of Fame, but we are equally proud of
their spouses who have also earned their
spot on this stage as well.
Judy Konitzer is the family forum editor
for ARMY AVIATION; questions and
suggestions can be directed to her at judy@
quad-a.org.
January 31, 2022
NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT u
AAAA Awards
Order of
St. Michael Inductees
Silver
Air Assault Chapter
Angel Gonzalez
Big Sky Chapter
BG James C. Wilkins
Cowboy Chapter
CW5 Brandon Erdmann
CW5 Mike Sall, Ret.
Lindbergh Chapter
LTC William D. Wolfinger, Ret.
Savannah Chapter
CW5 Brandon Helms
CW5 Allen Raye
Bronze
Air Assault Chapter
LTC Bob Hesselbein, Ret.
SSG Michael Lee Pettit
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
Arizona Chapter
Anthony Picha
Aviation Center Chapter
Robert E. Jones
SFC John B. Barnebey
Mark E. Beck
Johnnie Forehand
SSG Fred Gerald Hoagland III
CW3 Juan C. Hurtado
SSG Christopher Maddox
1SG Joseph D. Reed
SGM Angelo Rickert
CW3 Kenneth M. Rudo
Colonial Virginia Chapter
MSG Christopher J. Lindsay
CW5 Ryan M. Richardson
Mount Rainier Chapter
CW4 Joshua Bolden
Savannah Chapter
MAJ Joel Castro
CW3 Isiah D. Coleman
CPT Neal E. Covell
CW3 James K. Kelley
CW3 Raymond A. Schneider
CW3 Benjamin H. Stoddart
ShowMe Chapter
CSM David C. Hall
Washington-Potomac Chapter
CW5 John Karmire, III
CW5 William D. Kilgore Jr.
CW5 Brian P. Robertson
CPT Richard E. Schuessler
63
AAAA
Knight Recipients
AAAA Salutes
the
Following
Departed…
Morning Calm Chapter
SFC George D. Patterson
LTC Orlie J. Underwood, Ret.
Our Lady of Loreto Deceased 11/2/2021
Recipients Charter member & Life member
MAJ David A. Laverdiere, Ret.
Deceased 9/16/21
Life member
Air Assault Chapter
Natalie Miller WO1 Isaac N. Hubenthal
Gayle Gonzalez Deceased 6/21/21
Morning Calm Chapter
Ivelina Branch
Stephanie M. Schulcz Mr. Charles W. Aten II
Yolanda M. White Deceased 10/25/21
Mount Rainier Chapter
Melinda McLean CW4 James R. Oden, Ret.
North Star Chapter Deceased 11/21/2021
Katherine Amanda Oberg
Brenda K. Ortmann
Tennessee Valley Chapter
Holly Sellers
Award Nominations Are Open
Check out the Awards section on quad-a.org
AAAA Functional Awards
Suspense: July 1
n AMSO Award ASE Award n Avionics Award
n Donald F. Luce Depot Maintenance Artisan Award
Suspense: August 1
nLogistics Unit of the Year Award
nMateriel Readiness Award for a Contribution
by a Small Business or Organization
n Materiel Readiness Award for a
Contribution by an Individual Member of Industry
nMateriel Readiness Award for a
Contribution by a Major Contractor
nMateriel Readiness Award for a Contribution by an
Industry Team, Group, or Special Unit
n UAS Soldier of the Year nUAS Unit of the Year
nFixed Wing Unit of the Year
Suspense: September 1
nAir/Sea Rescue nATC Facility of the Year n ATC Unit of the Year
n ATC Technician of the Year n ATC Controller of the Year
n ATC Manager of the Year n DUSTOFF Medic of the Year
n Medicine Award n Trainer of the Year
AAAA Hall of Fame Inductions
Suspense: June 1
January 31, 2022
 AAAA u NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT
Industry News Announcements Related to Army Aviation Matters
Editor’s note: Companies can send their Army Aviation related news
releases and information to editor@quad-a.org.
Honeywell Tests Next-Generation T55
Engine
U.S. ARMY PHOTO
HONEYWELL GRAPHIC
Honeywell has reached a significant
milestone with the U.S. Army by being
the first engine to test (FETT) as part of its Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement (CRADA) for the next-generation engine for
Chinook helicopters. The CRADA program and testing of the T55-714C
engine is planned over a two-year period to validate the benefits and
ease of integration of the new engine variant onto the Chinook platform.
Testing of the first T55-GA-714C engine was successfully initiated at
Honeywell’s Phoenix test facilities in November 2021 to verify the
design and establish the performance benchmark in preparation for
the engine installation on the flight test aircraft.
U.S. Army Buys 15 Vita Rescue Systems
for Evaluation
VITA INCLINATA GRAPHIC VITA INCLINATA PHOTO
Vita Inclinata (Vita), developer
and producer of helicopter
and crane load stabilization and precision hardware, announced the
U.S. Army recently procured 15 Vita Rescue Systems to be evaluated
for operational effectiveness and suitability. The VRS will be delivered
to the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Lab (USAARL), Fort Rucker, AL
for additional environmental testing, followed by operational testing.
Vita today controls chaotic swinging and spin and adds safety and
precision for rotor-wing and fixed-wing aircraft and cranes.
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
Contracts – (From various sources. An “*” by a company
name indicates a small business contract / “**” indicates a woman-
owned small business)
L3Harris Technologies Inc., Rochester, NY, was awarded
a $45,840,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and firm-fixed-
price contract for development to integrate the AN/PRC-160 high
frequency manpack radio in the MH-47 and MH-60 aircraft; the
majority of the work will be performed in Rochester.
Lockheed Martin Corp. Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando,
FL, was awarded a $102,389,630 firm-fixed-price contract for
production and delivery of hardware components and spares of the
Apache Attack Helicopter Modernized Target Acquisition Designation/
Pilot Night Vision Sensor System; work locations and funding will be
determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July
31, 2024.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, CT, was awarded an
$8,514,607 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance and overhaul
of gearbox assemblies; work locations and funding will be determined
with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 21, 2026.
The Boeing Co., Mesa, AZ, was awarded a $239,590,243
cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Apache Improved Turbine Engine
Integration Phase II; work will be performed in Mesa, with an estimated
completion date of Dec. 31, 2026.
Advertisers Index
Amentum........................................................................... 1
Army Aviation Museum Foundation.................................... 37
Brandt Group, Inc............................................................. 14
Breeze-Eastern................................................................. 30
Coastal Seat Cushions Inc................................................ 27
Crestwood Technology Group (CTG)................................... 2
Eclypse International Corp................................................... 7
Fastening Systems International. Inc.................................. 19
FlightSafety International.................................................... 45
King Aerospace................................................................ 17
Lockheed Martin............................................................... 71
Phantom Products, Inc..................................................... 23
Pinnacle Solutions............................................................ 31
Rolin Inductries, Inc........................................................... 13
S.A.F.E. Structure Design, LLC.......................................... 29
S3, Systems Studies & Simulation....................................... 9
Science and Engineering Services, SES, Inc..................... 72
SKEDCO, Inc................................................................... 27
Spokane Industries, Inc..................................................... 25
Summit Aviation, Inc......................................................... 33
Torch Technologies........................................................... 39
Tyonek............................................................................... 5
Vinnell Arabia.................................................................... 35
Yulista Holdings LLC......................................................... 11
64 January 31, 2022
NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT u
AAAA Legislative Report
By LTC Kevin Cochie, Retired
AAAA Representative to the Military Coalition (TMC)
kevin.cochie@quad-a.org
FY22 NDAA PASSED
Just when you start to lose hope that
Santa hasn’t lost your address, he shows
up at the 11th hour with Christmas joy. In
true Congressional fashion with just a couple
of weeks to go in 2021, the FY22 National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was
passed out of Congress on December 15th.
Congressional lawmakers boosted DoD’s
budget request by $25B and authorized the
Pentagon to spend $740M in FY22.
So, what does this mean? FY22 started on
October 1st this past year so we are already
3 months into the fiscal year. The NDAA
“authorizes” DoD to spend money on X, Y,
and Z, so now that the NDAA is passed, the
Pentagon can spend funding on those items
that are approved by Congress. In reality,
DoD has been spending money on R&D,
sustainment, and modernization, but now
its solidified how much they can spend on
those items once there is an appropriations
bill that actually legally distributes the
funding to spend. We’ve been operating in
“Continuing Resolution” (CR) in absence of
an FY22 Appropriations Bill. During a CR,
the Pentagon is allowed to spend funding on
budget line items that were in the previously
approved fiscal year budget. The biggest
issue when Congress passes a new NDAA,
but the government continues to operate in
a CR, deals with “new start” programs. If,
for example, Army Aviation asked, within the
FY22 budget request, to initiate a program
to procure new countermeasure systems for
our fleet and such a request was approved
within the NDAA, that program is not able
to commence under the CR because the
program did not have appropriated funding
in the previous year. Fortunately for Army
Aviation, we do not have any big programs
that fall in this category.
Army Aviation fared very well with the
passed legislation. The legislation authorizes
increased funding for CH-47F Block-II
Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters
and authorizes the multi-year procurement
of AH-64E Apache and UH-60M and HH-
60M Black Hawk helicopters. Also, the
legislation supports requested funding for
Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)
and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
AAAA
(FARA). The original budget request for Army he will not support President Biden’s BBB
Aviation procurement was $2.8B and the legislation. This presents a challenge for
final authorization totaled $3.3B…..thank the Biden Administration, and we could see
you Congressional advocates. Congress a full year Continuing Resolution situation
also approved a 2.7% pay increase for our that is extremely damaging to the DoD and
uniformed service members. our industry partners. Because 2022 is an
election year, lawmakers will likely tread
lightly knowing that the Democrats have a
FY22 NDAA, Section 357 very slim margin of control in both the House
Incentive Pay Authorities and the Senate.
After years of many advocating for
parity for National Guard and Reserve Call to Action… Invite
incentive pay, Congress has finally acted
your Politicians
by directing DoD to pay reserve component
I recently attended Central Florida
members incentive pay equal to the regular
AAAA chapter’s Christmas toy drive event
component. But there is still much to do on
in Orlando and I felt such gratitude while
the part of DoD to provide a report on how
witnessing the chapter’s impact on the
it will be implemented, costs involved, and
community. The event was well attended
other details, so no pay in the near term but a
and members graciously donated thousands
huge step toward pay parity for our National
of dollars in toys for local children. The
Guard and Reserve Aviators.
festivities of the event were shared with
supportive local government representatives
What’s Next? and that evening the chapter also welcomed
Congressional lawmakers will return to a new member, the Honorable Geoff Davis,
Washington D.C. in early January to continue former Congressman from Kentucky, West
negotiations on the President’s Build Back Point graduate, and Army Aviator!
Better (BBB) agenda. There is no doubt that Every AAAA chapter can increase its
2022 with bring continued political drama. bench of champions by inviting local, state,
As noted, the NDAA only authorizes the and federal politicians. Our Army Aviation
funding for our Army Aviation enterprise. constituency is largely driven by industry
The Defense Appropriations Bill allocates and their presence in districts around the
the actual funds. Congress failed to provide country. There are chapters located where
appropriations bills for all government back industry is not, so we are asking that all
in October thus driving us into continuing chapters consider extending invitations to
resolution and it appears that the winds the politicians in your area. We are here to
are against the hopes of finding common advise chapters on who these folks are and
appropriation funding ground. Senator Joe how to contact them - message me if you
Manchin (D-WV) has publicly stated that have questions.
Upcoming Special Focus
Army Aviation State of the Union Issue
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NETWORK l RECOGNITION l VOICE l SUPPORT February 28, 2021
February 2022 NETWORK l RECOGNITION l VOICE l SUPPORT April/May 2021
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Project Manager The only FVL weapon system with the flight-proven speed, range and
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Updates Army Aviation Leadership State
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Managers Learn more at bellflight.com
AAAA Chapter Directory
2021 Photo Contest Winners
1 Bell_Long-Range Overmatch_Print Ad Cover_8.125x10.875.indd
Bob Lachowski or Erika Burgess AAAAindustry@quad-a.org
Saved at 3-23-2021 4:09 PM from Aubrie’s MacBook Pro by Work Baby / Work Baby Printed At None
Job info Approvals Fonts & Images
Job 14666-INDOPAC-LRM Art Director E. Whitaker Fonts
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65 January 31, 2022
 AAAA
People On The Move
Transfer of Authority
1ACB Takes Over Atlantic Resolve Mission
U.S. ARMY PHOTOS BY SGT JASON GREAVES
The 1st Combat Aviation Brigade (1CAB), 1st Infantry Division officially
cased its colors as they handed over the aviation component of Atlantic
Flight School Graduates
AAAA provides standard aviator wings to all graduates and sterling silver aviator wings to the
distiguished graduates of each flight class ... another example of AAAA’s SUPPORT for the
U.S. Army Aviation Soldier and Family.
AAAA congratulates the following of-
ficers graduating from Flight School
XXI at the U.S. Army Aviation Center
of Excellence, Fort Rucker, AL.
36 Officers November 18, 2021
Commissioned Officers
2LT Chrisfield, John P. * - DG
2LT Niemeyer, James A. - HG
1LT Wilde, Nicholas D. * - HG
2LT Behrendt, Eric A. *
1LT Beischer, John W.
2LT Burch, Jessica M.
2LT Decker, Samuel D.
2LT Hayes, Jon J.
2LT Hilby, Isaac W.
2LT Lopez, Santiago M.
2LT Matter, Michael J.
2LT McAlpin, Dallas R.
2LT Mortenson, Sydney N. *
2LT Schrader, Nathan R.
Warrant Officers
WO1 Fletcher, William K. II + - DG
WO1 Hoertsch, Brandon D. - HG
WO1 Orban, John B. - HG
WO1 Wilson, Sean E. - HG
WO1 Ace, Robert J.
WO1 Ahn, Taylor B.
WO1 Baker, Mitchell A.
WO1 Baucke, Thomas C.
WO1 Burtnett, Matthew J.
WO1 Carter, Rashaun M.
WO1 Clever, Jeremy M.
WO1 Freda, Benjamin M.
WO1 Hyde, Nathaniel R.
WO1 Klauer, Jube M.
WO1 Longoria, Alexandra G.
WO1 Malachowski, Samuel B.
WO1 McCoin, Zachary T.
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
u NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT
Resolve to 1st Air Cavalry Brigade (1ACB), 1st Cavalry Division in a
ceremony held at Illesheim Army Air Base, Germany, Dec. 15, 2021.
WO1 O’Mealy, Caleb P.
WO1 Pennington, Kyle J.
WO1 Rappisi, Matthew T.
WO1 Vallade, Joseph T.
WO1 VanWagenen, Eric R.
46 Officers December 2, 2021
Commissioned Officers
2LT Barbrow, Seth T. * - DG
2LT Mortimer, Dade R. * - HG
2LT Radliff, Schuyler J. - HG
CPT Daley, Nellie M. Class 22-002
CPT Day, Charles M.
2LT Eljadidi, Said
2LT Gray, John S.
1LT Hughes, Brian E.
2LT Hunter, Noah B.
1LT Jones, Nathan C.
2LT Kelenske, Conner S.
2LT Park, Josiah B. *
2LT Rakocy, Rachael E.
1LT Skelly, Thomas H.
2LT Viljac, Carson M.
Warrant Officers
WO1 Coffey, Brent E. - DG
WO1 Fletcher, Evan G. - HG Class 22-003
WO1 Puterbaugh, Megan M. - HG
WO1 Ruth, Russell R. - HG WO1 Graham, Christopher T. WO1 Ruiz, Alfredo
WO1 Van Oostendorp, Chelsea L. - HG CW2 Groce, Benjamin P. WO1 Runge, Patrick R.
WO1 Porter-Macias, Stephen J. - CL
WO1 Atherton, Gregory L. WO1 Hagey, Adam B. WO1 Shepard, Samuel A.
WO1 Beaufort, Catherine J. WO1 Hodges, Phillip B. WO1 Tanis, James A.
WO1 Beckett, Cameron N. CW2 Johns, Christian T. WO1 Townsend, Katherine L.
WO1 Blakeway, Christopher I. WO1 Jun, James
WO1 Coyner, Matthew R. WO1 Lambert, Anthony David Y. -DG: Distinguished Graduate
WO1 Cruz, Nicholas A. WO1 Laws, Joshua L. -HG: Honor Graduate
WO1 Cruz, Oliver J. WO1 Miller, Benjamin H. -CL: Commandant’s List Graduate
WO1 Dahbashi, Cameron B. WO1 Muzzio, Grant D. * = AAAA Member
WO1 Ferguson, Michael S. WO1 Romero, Kaleb S. + = Life Member
66 January 31, 2022
NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT u AAAA
People On The Move
ADVANCED INDIVIDUAL TRAINING (AIT) GRADUATIONS
AAAA congratulates the following PFC Bernardo Junior Solis SPC Rogelio Lazaro Monteagudo PV2 Joslyn Nikaiya Patterson
Army graduates of the indicated PV2 Andy Ulpiano-Garcia PV2 Corey Raye Poulson PV2 Malik Divine Shakir
Advanced Individual Training (AIT) PV2 Tyler Anthony Vince SPC Matthew Michaellee Scholl Class 018-21
courses at the 128th Aviation Class 036-21 PFC Timothy Daniel Shafer PV2 Jacob M. Grummer * - DG
Brigade, Joint Base Langley- PFC Brittney Carol Pressler * - DG SPC Jeffrey Kyle Smith PV2 Xavier Derryl Brown-Douglas
Eustis, VA and the U.S. Army PV2 Kobey W. Howard Emmons PFC Daniel Lamar Turner SPC Aren Mmo Dela Cruz
Aviation Center of Excellence, Ft. SPC Kurukulasuriya Fernanado Class 080-21 SPC Korin Joseph Hamlet
Rucker, AL. PV2 Jaden Joseph Grimm PV2 Nathan C. Dorsey * - DG SGT Noah Yassar Hills
PVT Gavin Roger Haffner PFC Nicholas Daniel Castle PV2 Natter Cher Lee
AH-64 Attack Helicopter PVT Brady Wade Healy PFC Dominic Thomas Compoz Class 019-21
Repairer (15R) PV2 Larry James Kittelson PFC Matthew Garrett Davis PFC Daniel D. Stokely * - DG
Class 043-21 PFC Kchrys Gabriel Leblanc PV2 Kristofer Day Drain PFC Phung Ho
PVT Anthony Eliceo Rodriguez PVT Delina Isabell Martinez SPC Rogelio Lazaro Monteagudo PFC Adam Khadrani
* - DG SPC Fatima Alish Shamsuddin PV2 Alexander Joseph Stegeman PFC Youssef Khadrani
SPC Alan Ray Miller PV2 Joseph Henry Tappe PV2 Zachary Tianyuer Lam
PFC Jesse Ray Miller UH-60 Helicopter Repairer PV2 Austin Michael Williams PFC David William Pons
PVT Raphael-Andre Piolo Quiros (15T) PV2 Quinn Nathaniel Roemmich
PV2 Aneudy David Ramosreyes Class 075-21 Aircraft Powerplant PV2 Miguel Jerson Zelas
Class 044-21 SPC Carrie L. Schwandt * - DG Repairer (15B)
PV2 Ronald Puckett Jurney * - DGPV2 Joshua Michael Dyer Class 017-21 AH-64 Armament/
PVT Maalik Tyshon Austin PVT Jade Alyssa Fugate PV2 Hector Raul Castro * - DG Electrical/Avionic Systems
PV2 Shawn Donald Bryant SPC Cole Christopher Gregory PVT Emma Louise Auberg Repairer (15Y)
PV2 Sheilamarie Dolor Bumagat PV2 Alex Trent Hancock PV2 Eduard Botnari Class 017-21
PVT Timothy Tyrell Campbell PV2 Kevin Robert Heckley PV2 Alexander Daniel Doornink PFC Joshua Jerreld * - DG
PFC Samara Rose Chaveztorres PVT Trever Alan Heffernan PFC Adriano B Girangaya, Jr PFC Roman Adami
PFC Jacob Crawford PFC Samuel A.Hoogendoorn PFC Michael Thanh Lam SGM Abdulla Al Hosani
PFC Deondre E Douglas PV2 Joseph Taylor Inman PV2 Jacob Joseph Martin SGM Mohammed A M A Al Kenji
PV2 Yandel Cristian Figueroa PVT Dylan Lee Johnson PV2 Isaac Flanegin Mccoy SGM Ahmed Salem Al Meqbaalii
PVT Juan Pablo Gomez PV2 Lewis Alan Linsdstrom PFC Wesley Gerard Mitchell, Jr SGM Badr Khalfan O A Al Shamsi
PFC Erica Regina Lloyd PV2 Caleb Tyler Meeks PFC Michael James Monaghan SGM Humaid M H A Al Shehhi
PVT Alexis Danielle Martinez Class 076-21 PV2 Troy Kyle Owen SPC Nathan Casey
Class 045-21 SPC Jorge L. Brown-Ojeda * - DG PVT Pedro Trejo PFC Jose Cortesdejesus
PFC Matthew D. McDougal * - DG PV2 Russell J. Anderson PFC Javonte Ronzell Wooden PV2 Kurt Denton
SPC Kevin Emmanuel Alvarez PV2 Andrew H. Budzinski SPC Joseph Maes Jr
PV2 Tristan James Crosby SPC Daniel John Manchen Aircraft Hydraulics PFC Brandon Mathis
PV2 Cobi Lane Rawald PVT Hasib Mohamed Repairer (15H) CPL Austin Temple
PFC Tristan Thomas Torres PVT Joyeus Nibintije Class 015-21 Class 018-21
SPC Thomas Alexander Usic PV2 Matthew Joseph Sarosy PVT Dimitri A. Ognibene * - DG PFC Roman Adami
PFC Lucas Reed Woodward PFC Matthew Trey Shaw PV2 Michael Jean Bourque II PFC Hunter Brooks
SPC Jose L. Zazueta-Aceves SSG William Tyler Fulbright PVT Lee Bruce Jr
CH-47 Medium Helicopter Class 077-21 PVT Charles Joseph Hobbs PFC Jose Cortesdejesus
Repairer (15U) PFC Sean Walter Donaghy * - DG PVT Jacob Daniel Mohlman PV2 Kurt Denton
Class 032-21 PV2 Zackarie James Chapman PVT Shawn Giggey Jr
PVT Sydney A. McElhany * - DG PFC Chauncey Kennae Church Avionic Repairer (15N) PV2 Robert Hahnviands
PFC Mario Alejandro Alemendares PV2 Tanner Lincoln Eldridge Class 017-21 PFC Brandon Mathis
PVT Franzin Guico Hilario PV2 Jack Ryan Floriosousa PV2 Julianna Lynn Hare * - DG PVT Giovanni Sanchez
PV2 Andrew Dale Irwin PFC Zachary Michael Garcia SGT Megan Elaine Goetsch PV2 Drew Smith
PV2 Dylan Lyle Jackson PV2 Tobias Aaron Guzek SPC Jonathan James Janick - DG: Distinguished Graduate
PV2 Tristan David Kinchen PV2 Atticus Raymond Kurtz SPC Jeremy Scott Milliken * = AAAA Member
PFC Jozie Calynn Shomo PFC Ryan Scott Livingston PV2 Abbey Elizabeth Moran + = Life Member
PFC Madelynn Rae Thompson PFC Jacklyn Diana Lombard
PFC Jack Wisleypaul SPC Eddison Kirkland Marske
Class 034-21 PFC Braxton Jamesburr Silvestre
PFC Aaron M. Munguia * - DG SPC Marissa Paige Valentine
SPC John Nicholas Applegate Class 078-21
PFC Louie Chacon PFC Francisco Santos-Rivera * - DG
PFC Steven Edward Fown SPC Cameron Scott Dixon *
PFC Yefim Geoffrey Gutman PFC David Allen Johnson
PV2 Mark Isiah Holder SPC Paul David Kelly
PV2 Tyler Christian Inez PV2 Collin Blake McKeown
SPC Fatima Alish Shamsuddin PV2 Alexander Edward Miller

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 67 January 31, 2022

 AAAA u NETWORK I RECOGNITION I VOICE I SUPPORT

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Graduations

UAS REPAIRER
AAAA congratulates the
following Army graduates of
the Shadow Unmanned Aircraft
Systems Repairer Course, MOS
15E, at Fort Huachuca, AZ.
8 Graduates,
27 October 2021
PV2 Jacob Godsey - HG
PV2 David Golden
PV2 Giovanni Guzman
PV2 Jubal Howard
PV2 Efrain Pena
PV2 Philadarius Ross
PV2 Ryan Striplin
PVT Brennan Morrison
7 Graduates,
16 November 2021
SGT Trevor Mackey - HG
SPC James Hertenstein
PFC Jackson Cowan
PFC Christopher Herndon Course, MOS 15M, at Fort PFC Samuel Newhouse
PV2 Naphtali Actie Huachuca, AZ. PV2 Armondo Felicianolugo
PV2 Deacon Hoffsommer 16 Graduates, PV2 Randy Freeman II
PV2 Jimmy Moak III 25 October 2021 PV2 Zachary Higley
SGT Samuel Hancel - DHG PV2 Xander Lyions
Gray Eagle UAS Repairer SPC Simon Shultz - HG PV2 Damon Mccoy
Course SPC Travis Harper PV2 Zachary McDowell
AAAA congratulates the PFC Francisco PV2 Carson Newell
following Army graduates of Domenechocasio PV2 Enrique Rivasiv
the Gray Eagle Unmanned PFC Peter Faull PV2 Aaron Williams
Aircraft Systems Repairer PFC Keon Lawrence

UAS OPERATOR
AAAA congratulates the
following Army graduates
of the Unmanned Aircraft
Systems Operator
Course, MOS 15W, at Fort
Huachuca, AZ.
Shadow UAS Operator
Course
24 Graduates,
29 October 21
PFC Aaron Lowden -DHG
SPC Christopher Rosensteel*-HG PV2 Tyler Reifers
SPC Evan Conner
SPC Sigfredo Quiles-Gonzalez PV2 Kevin Veguilla
PFC Thomas Donahue
PFC Autley Loyd
PFC Jonathan Myers
PFC Patrick Orozco
PFC Cody Phenicie
PFC Hector Rodriquez-Roman
PFC Ezekiel Valdez
PFC Paul Zertuche
PV2 Andy Amaya
PV2 Dayton Baker
PV2 Lukas Bond
PV2 David Cape
PV2 Frantz Clermont
PV2 Aaron Gray
PV2 Michael Hutton
PV2 Riley Kendall
PV2 Sean Ryan
PVT Morgan Landry
23 Graduates,
18 November 21 PV2 Travis Phillips PFC Griffin Miller
PFC Nicholas Smith - DHG PV2 Zachary Pyron PFC Ryan Tyler
PV2 Kai Aschwanden - HG PV2 Oscar Servin PFC Dakotah Watkins
SSG Bianca Cavallaro PV2 Jeremy Shiley PV2 Benjamin Colebaugh
SGT Sky Rathje PV2 Madaline Sink PV2 Matthew Diaz
SPC Keira Chong PV2 Noah Stevens PV2 Gage Dietz
SPC Seth Deets PV2 Eva Duckett
PFC Charles Brumbaugh Gray Eagle UAS Operator PV2 Brandon Guinn
PFC Trayen Culton PV2 Charles Kehoe
PFC Gavin Gavorski Course PV2 Owen Kerski
21 Graduates,
PFC Andrew Linder PV2 Brendan Mctigue
PFC Mercedes Litchfield 8 November 21 PV2 Joshua Orr
PV2 Jaycee Clark - DHG
PFC Luis Mendoza PV2 Adam Richardson
PFC Orlando Ortiz SGT Jeremy Perry - HG PV2 Preston Sinclair
SPC Michael Ambs
PFC Jacob Smith *
SPC Jacob Fenter
PFC Juan Zavala-Carrick DHG - Distinguished Honor
SPC Jerrod Fuller
PV2 Jordan Dietrich
SPC Ethan Gray
Graduate
PV2 Michael Holley HG - Honor Graduate
PV2 Kevin Larson PFC Blake Clarkson * = AAAA Member

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ARMY AVIATION Magazine 68 January 31, 2022

Art’s
By Mark Albertson
Attic
Art’s Attic is a look back each month 25 years ago and 50 years ago to see what
was going on in ARMY AVIATION Magazine. Art Kesten was our founder and
first publisher from 1953 to 1987. He was also the founder of the AAAA in 1957
and served as its Executive Vice President. Each month contributing editor Mark
Albertson selects a few key items from each historic issue. The cartoon, right,
was done back in 1953 by LT Joe Gayhart, a friend of Art’s and an Army Aviator,
showing the chaos of his apartment-office in New York City where it all began.

25 Years Ago 50 Years Ago

January 31,1997 January 15, 1972
Austerity and the Commander* 10,000th Student
“In today’s Army Aviation com- First Lieutenant Walton D. Stall-
munity, commanders are con- ings, Jr., was the 10,000th student
fronted with a plethora of lead- to pass through the Learning Cen-
ership challenges. The shrinking ter at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The
military budget may be the cause center offers everything: From
of most of these challenges, and it tape cassette lessons, programmed
is the main reason our units must texts, pri-
learn to ‘do more with less.’ Due vate study
to the diminishing budget, Army Aviation has been compelled booths equipped with projector and
to change the way it did business in the past. Specifically, the earphones, in addition to other train-
Aviation Branch encourages leaders to be creative and to pro- ing aids including a mock-up of a
duce more from less.” * See page 30, “A Comprehensive PT UH-1 “Huey” helicopter cockpit.
Program,” Army Aviation, January 31, 1997, by Captain John Lieutenant Stallings is slated to grad-
R. Kenefick. uate from the initial entry rotary wing
course at the Army Aviation School
Graduating Class in March.
Aviation officers
recently graduated Business End
from the Army War Stratford, Connecticut: A Sikorsky Aircraft’s S-67 Blackhawk
College, Carlisle shows its business end. Its formidable firepower includes 152
Barracks, Pennsyl- 2.75-inch anti-personnel rockets, designated FFAR or Fold-
vania, July 26, 1996: ing Fin Aircraft Rockets. The chin turret is home to either a
From left to right: 20 mm or 30 mm cannon. Billed as the world’s fastest heli-
First Row: LTC James W. Ball, Jr., Colonels Bruce R. Bodin, copter, the S-67 can
Mike Breithhaupt, Mark E. Byers, LTC Peter Castilow, Colo- also be equipped with
nel Gary E. DeKay. Second Row: LTCs Rodney F. Dyer, Clay such missiles and rock-
Edwards, Colonel Dennis L. George, LTC Gordon D. Griffin, ets that would make it a
Colonels Lee McMillen, Henry A. Moak, Jr. Third Row: LTCs lethal anti-armor weap-
Dennis L. Patrick, Peter Delitier, Daniel Pike, Colonels Albert ons platform, including
A. Rubino, Roger A. Sexton, LTCs Patrick J. Sheehan, Roger being armed with the
D. Thomas, and LTC (P) William A. Tucker. TOW missile system.

Space Flag Fort Knox

Colonel Bill McArthur Captain Phillip E. Raschke (left) holds up one of ten 1961-
(center), Army Astro- 1970 bound volumes of Army Aviation magazine that he re-
naut, presented a flag ceived as second runner-up in AAAA’s 1971 Grand Sweep-
flown in space, aboard stakes. Viewing the matched library set covering the “Decade
the Space Shuttle, to of Airmobility” is Major
members of the Po- Robert L. Catron, Secre-
tomac Chapter of tary of the AAAA Blue-
AAAA, to LTC Tom grass Chapter, Fort Knox.
Petrick, VP Scholar- Some fifty hardbound
ships, Colonel Robert editions of Army Aviation
Godwin, then Senior VP, SFC Pam Shugart, VP Programs were awarded during the
and MG Richard E. Stephenson, AAAA President. ceremonies.

ARMY AVIATION Magazine 69 January 31, 2022


The Army Aviation Hall
of Fame, sponsored by
the Army Aviation
Association of America,
Inc., recognizes those
individuals who have made
an outstanding c ­ ontribution
to Army ­Aviation.
The actual Hall of Fame
is located in the
Army Aviation Museum,
Fort Rucker, Ala.
The deadline for
nominations for the
2023 induction is
June 1, 2022
Contact the AAAA
National Office for details
and nomination forms at
(203) 268-2450 or visit
www.quad-a.org
ARMY AVIATION Magazine
Army Aviation
Hall of Fame
Master
Sergeant Fred
W. Zabitosky
Army Aviation Hall of Fame 2017
Induction – Nashville, TN
M SG Fred W. Zabitosky distinguished
himself by a lifetime of service
as a Soldier and as a Special Forces
Noncommissioned Officer. It was his actions
on February 19, 1968 while serving in the highly classified Military
Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group
(MACV-SOG) that distinguished him in the field of Army Aviation. 
On that day Zabitosky, who was at the time a 25 year old staff sergeant,
led his 9 man patrol consisting of 3 American Special Forces personnel
and 6 indigenous Chinese Nung fighters in a mission to determine the
presence of North Vietnamese Army armor deep in enemy territory on
the Ho Chi Minh Trail during the height of the 1968 Tet Offensive. They
quickly found themselves outnumbered over 50 to 1 and in a battle with
an enemy force of 4 companies.
In the ensuing hours he directed his patrol’s fires and coordinated U.S.
Air Force A-1 close air support and Army helicopter gunships to prevent
his patrol from being overrun while they awaited extraction. After a long
battle, two Army helicopters attempted to extract the patrol. The first
aircraft was successful but the second which Zabitosky was riding in was
shot down. 
Despite being badly burned and wounded himself he made his way back to
the burning aircraft and rescued two Army Aviators. For those actions he
received the Nation’s highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor.
70 January 31, 2022
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ARMY AVIATION Magazine 72 January 31, 2022